Gale's story after Mockingjay
by gabytahijar
Summary: Gale goes to District 2, but the Capitol's goverment is not dead yet. He finds love in the most unexpected person and keeps fighting for his friendship with Katniss. Will he be able to end with the capitol rebels? Faithfull to the last book:) Chapter 32 is ready, check it out!
1. Chapter 1

**Gale's story after Mockingjay** – After I finished Mockingjay I questioned myself: What happened to Gale? I wrote about his life after war in District 2. One day I just took a little notebook and a pen and started writing and this is what came out.

Hope you like it and please review. _Gabriela_

**Chapter 1 - Questions**

War is over. Katniss points her arrow to Snow's face, but at the last second her arrow goes to Coin, she is dead, and Snow too.

_What has Katniss done! _I see how they carry Katniss and inject her morphine. _They can't kill her, they just can't! Why she did that? Why she killed Coin? Is she trying to get killed?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Getting Over You**

The next weeks are like hell, every night I wake up screaming, now I know how Katniss, Peeta and Haymich feel, I just can't rest. My nightmares are about Prim, how my bomb killed her, Katniss in fire, how she saw me and knew that it was my fault.I know that she wants to convince herself that it wasn't my bomb, that I had nothing to do with Prim's death, I knew it when I gave her the arrow to kill Snow, but as I said to her, the only thing that could ever give me a chance with her, for her to love me instead of Peeta, was that I protected her family, we were best friends… And now I am the reason of why her sister is dead.

Paylor is now president and Plutarch secretary of communications. After the mess of Snow´s execution I was assigned to a room in the Justice Building of the Capitol, all Rebels were assigned here, waiting for new orders, but I know exactly what are we waiting for… we are waiting for Katniss's case to be resolved.

Katniss crime is now on trial. The defense side states that she is mentally unstable, that she didn't acted under her total mental conditions and therefore it wasn't her intention to kill Coin. _So she is mentally unstable? Hahahaha if only Katniss could hear this…_ They say she is victim of post-traumatic stress. After several days of discussing the case she is found innocent.

My heart is relieved. _She is allowed to live_, but now I feel a pain in my chest, _yes, she is living, but never with me_. Plutarch tells me that they are sending her back to District 12 and Peeta will be sent too latter. It is hard for me to admit, but I know that this is how things should've been, I know that Peeta is better for her than me_. He loves her, he always has_.

I know what I must do, first, I will like to talk to Peeta, and second, get as far away as I can of the Capitol and District 12.

It takes me two days to find out where Peeta was, Paylor didn't wanted to tell me, she said that he wasn't ready, but I don't care, I am going to District 2 in 3 days and I want him to know a couple of things. I sneak off my room. The Justice Building of the Capitol is huge, divided in several floors. Originally, the rooms that we have now where offices, but they been modified for us to stay on them like if they were hotel rooms. Floor 1 is full of guards. Floor 2 has a Board Room, where the President and captains gather to make important decisions. Floor 3 and 4 are now used as hospital rooms and since floor 5 to 14 the floors are used for us to stay, the last floor it is of the President.

After making sure no one notices that I am off my room I take the elevator to floor 4, I know Peeta is currently on Room 407. I avoid the eyes of the nurses and doctors that walk all over the floor attending injured in different rooms and entered his room.

He is still in bed and looks at me confused.

"Gale? What are you doing here?" I take a little look to his room, he is in a hospital bed with some needles in his arm. The size of his room it is exactly like mine, but it just has one window and the bed, no TV, no closet, no desk…

"Hi Peeta, I won't bother you for long, I just want to talk to you." Now I look at him. He looks terrible, but better than the last time I saw him. He has gained some weight, but his eyes seem mired in a dark bag, his skin is less pale, but still not of his natural color and his hair is a mess, I guess that is because of all the time he has been on bed. He still looks sick.

"About what?" He looks at me confused. _Yeah, why in the world I would ever search for him to have a talk?_

"Katniss…" I answer to him slowly.

"Ohh…"He seems sad, but there is a tone of surprise. He didn't expect me to tell him that. "What about her? Are you here to tell me that she is dead?" In his eyes I see a familiar pain, I go back to the day my father died, my mother's eyes when she found out that my father would never come out of that mine, that he was dead.

"No Peeta, she is not dead, she is going to be send to District 12, such as you are." His eyes sparkled, he had new hopes, but soon that sparkle was lost, he looked at me confused again.

"This is what you wanted to tell me? What is that thing you wanted to talk about with me?" He makes an effort to sit in his bed but he is too weak to do that by his own and I go to help him out. If I could just hate him… but I can't, I actually like him, I guess if it was any other guy who wanted to be with Katniss I will kick his ass, but he seems like the kind of guy that could be my friend and I owe him so much.

"Thanks Gale, what is it?" He looks right through my eyes, waiting.

"I am giving up Peeta, I know I am not the one for Katniss, I know you are…" He opens his mouth to say something but I put my hand up to stop him " Please let me finish, I know my bomb killed Prim, she will never fully forgive me for that, and I know that I cause more damage in her life than love and relieve. But you are different for her Peeta. Do you remember what I told you at Tigris store? In the Capitol?" He nods "I told you that Katniss would choose the one she needs to survive, and that is you Peeta."

"Don't blame yourself for Prims death Gale, that wasn't your fault…"

"Maybe I didn't send the bomb, but it was mine."

"Gale…"

"It's alright Peeta, I just wanted to tell you to take care of her, to love her and be by her side."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I am leaving Peeta, to never come back, I am leaving to District 2 with the intention to never see Katniss again." I look down to the floor. It is hard to renounce to everything you love. Katniss, my family, my home. _Gale, remember that your house no longer exists, District 12 no longer exists. _

"You know that I will never leave her, you have my word."

"Thank you Peeta, that would be all." I start to stand up and he puts his hand in my shoulder.

"Thank you Gale"

I know this is the last time I will see Peeta, I owe him so much and I know that Katniss will be safe with him. I return to my room and I surrender to the fatigue. For the first time in these 3 weeks I have a good dream. I dream about Katniss, her smile, her laugh, I know she will be safe, that with time she will have children and that finally she will be happy. _ Even if she is no longer with me._

**What do you think of my story so far? Love it, hate it? Please review and comment. Next chapters will be published soon, I swear:P **

**Gabriela**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - District 2**

I've been here for two weeks by now. _Everything it's calm, boring_… My phone doesn't stop ringing, I know it my little sister using Katniss's phone, she begs me to go home. Many times I have thought about going back, but that is not the right thing to do, _I can't go_, so I just stop answering the phone maybe that will make it easier for her, with time she will figure out that no matter what she says I am not coming home. Sometimes I think about what I would do if it was Katniss who called, who insisted me to go home. That surely won't happen but I just can't stop thinking about it.

Paylor named me captain of a special team in District 2, she send many of the best soldiers here and in District 1, in both Districts there is a high probability of rebellion, many people around here where with the Capitol. But nothing has happened yet. My special team has only one person that I already knew, Beete. Plutarch sent him here to invent new weapons, Plutarch was controlling communication in the Capitol and they no longer needed Beete there. He has invented many new bows and arrows with special abilities just for me, I think that's his way to try to make me feel better. We are a team of 8 , Beete, Trell (a soldier from District 8,I think he is in his thirties, tall and dark skinned, in fact it appears he is from District 12, from the Seam, but he's eyes are the only thing that give him away, they are of a greenish color), Miller (She makes magic with explosives, from District 5, she reminds me Katniss's mom, she is pail and has long honey-colored hair that with the sun becomes even blonder, she looks young, around her early twenties ), Fugg (You must be very stupid to fight with him if he has around an ax, he is from District 3, I think, he is a very muscled guy, I found him kind off intimidating), Ross (A master of the sword, District 9, he is an older men, I think he is 40 or something, he is read head and has freckles), Cam (I don't know her that much but I think she is good with the knife and a bit with the bow, I guess she is from district 7, she is short and tanned, her hair is bronze-colored and her eyes are completely dark, sometimes it freaks me out, like if she was a sort of demon or something), Kyle (I like him a lot, he is good too with tramps, I think he is just one or two years older than me, but in appearance we are opposite, he is REALLY pail, blonde and spite of having muscles thanks to the training he still is much thinner than me ) and me. Every day we train and prepare ourselves to any kind of problem, but luck it's not in our favor, nothings happens.

The winter starts to show its first warnings; _it's so different here_, in District 2, in the Seam by this time everyone started to freak out and prepared to survive winter, Katniss and I always went almost all day hunting, making our little storage of food. I smile at the memory, it seems it was a million years ago.

I no longer know for how long I've been here, I guess 2 months or so.

Today we are having a promo shoot, Paylor wants to show Panem that District 1 and 2 are under control. I hate acting or been interviewed for a promo, that is just not who I am. I remember that with Katniss it was the same issue, she just couldn't act_. Hahaha_ _She really sucked at it_. All my company is sent to make up room (Plutarch says we must look dangerous, soldiers, but still beautiful) and I honestly can't stand having make up on_. Not even if I look good, I just feel I have an extra unnecessary skin_. I enter to the makeup room and see a familiar face, I think her name is Octavia, she was part of the makeup team of Katniss.

"Hi Octavia, how are you?" I ask with the intention of getting some entertainment to forget about the torture I'll be passing through.

"Hi Gale? That's your name right?" She seems worried, and I think that she is worried for me.

"Yeah, that's me" I smile, I think that she doesn´t likes at all being here.

"How are you? I thought you were going to District 12 like Katniss and Peeta." She made a little pause, like deciding something " By the way…. I saw Katniss like a week ago, she had a promo too, anyway, she asked me to tell you that she misses you and that your family as well." In the eyes of the woman I could see that she knew exactly that the message could make me react badly, she waited carefully. My reaction took me by surprise, I am totally calmed.

"I'm just fine, thank you. So she's ok?" I ask like if nothing had happened.

" Yes, she is fully recovered and told me that she has went hunting again." She answers as she takes notes. Before I can add anything she quickly moves around and gives instructions to everyone. It seems that I am too pail and that my hair is a mess. At the moment two stylists take over my face and hair. I close my eyes and pretend that I don't care ( I am dying inside to push away this people off me) and force myself to think about something like training, I know that if I start to think of Katniss and in District 12 there will be no way I'm going to make a good job in the promo.

**Hi there! What do you think so far? Please review and keep reading my story:) Thank you so much for the good reviews. Gabriela**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Propo**

Plutarch is here giving instructions to everyone of what exactly this propo is about.

"You will be answering some questions and just walking through the District. What we want to show is that everything is under control, ok?"

It is very simple to read everyone's face, they are as uncomfortable as I am.

"Why do we need to do this? Why us?" Trell seems mad actually, his face and tone of voice makes sure of it.

"Because the rest of the country fears a rebellion…." Plutarch starts to reply.

" I though this promo thing stopped when war did, we look stupid" the voice of Fugg makes everyone look at him, he doesn't talks that much, it's weird on him.

" I think the same, I hate to have makeup on, I feel like a stupid capitol citizen or one of their products" the voice of Cam comes from behind so I turn around to see her. They had made a wonderful job with her, she looks really attractive, but she is right, capitol's time is over, we are soldiers not models.

" I don't feel comfortable either with this guys, but Plutarch is right, Panem is worried about a possible rebellion, we just have to show that everything is killing boring around here" everyone now looks at me.

" Oh that is exactly what this is, BORING" Miller smiles to me, she agrees with me. She looks stunning, her honey-colored hair is carefully braided, her stylists left though a few strands of hair that fall on her face framing it, makes her look perfectly imperfect.

"Come on everyone, we haven't done anything productive lately so let's cooperate and obey the orders of President Paylor" my team knows that now it is an order, they start moving and filming all the interviews. I wait patiently until it is my turn.

"Hey Gale!" I look to my left; Plutarch is the one calling me. " It's your turn."

One camera boy gets in front of me and gives me instructions about the interview.

"I will be asking you some questions, you must look sometimes to the camera but also you can walk around a bit."

"All right, I am ready" I guess I am, I just hope this ends soon.

"Ok, recording in 3, 2, 1" the little red light turns on in the camera and I know that it is time.

"Gale Hawthorne, captain of the leader company in District 2 is now informing the situation in the zone." he makes me a sign to begin walking a bit and I answer as I walk.

"District 2 by the time has no relevant activity, since the first day my company arrived until now there had been no problems at all, but we are ready to face everything." I look directly to the camera, I want all to know that we are ready for everything, that it would be stupid to fight against us.

"What is the function of your company here in District 2?" I make my best effort avoid rolling my eyes or start laughing. _Well… that's a hard one, apart from getting bored and train our asses off?_

"We train and make rounds through the District to make sure that everything is under control." I keep walking like I was talking with a friend and waited for the next question.

"So you think that war is over?" I look to the camera boy, there is a warning on his eyes, I must answer cleverly and without making a mistake. I know that any kind of daub could be very dangerous.

"Even here, in District 2, they were many who hated the Capitol and that are by the side of President Paylor, time will answer that question, for now we are living an undefined time of peace that I personally enjoy deeply." That isn't the complete truth_, I wish there was something interesting, but I don't want my team to be in danger, just something, a reason to stay. _

"Thank you for your time captain Hawthorn" I nod my head as a "Your Welcome" and walk away.

"That was a very good shot! It stays!" Plutarch shouts, I look at him, this is ridiculous, been so fancy for this stupid promo. " Very well done Gale, now by pairs and in different orders we will be filming you walking around."

They divide us in pairs, Beete is with Cam, Fugg with Miller, Trell with Ross and I am with Kyle. All we have to do is look dangerous and technically like Peacekeepers.

Trell and Ross are first.

We'll be walking through the Justice Building, the center of the District, representing the rounds we do normally to make sure of the peace in the District.

_This is boring_. After Beete and Cam passed it's our turn. They tell us to start walking and we do, we give a little walk to the street and come back. Civilians are looking to us with interest, they got used to our presence after a couple of days, but I guess it's new for them all this promo filming thing… as it is to us too.

It´s Fugg's and Miller's turn and they start their walk, as they are coming back Miller makes me a funny face. I smile at her, I really like that girl, and she has a great sense of humor. She smiled me back and so her smiled stayed in her face as an arrow passed through her forehead.

**Poor Miller…:'( So, what do you think that it is going to happen? Please review and tell me you opinions of my story so far Thank you! :) Gabriela**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Rebels **

I am in shock, maybe for one second or less, but everything in this second moves so slowly, like if it made no sense. I see Miller, her eyes opened a little, like if in the last second she saw the arrow. I get off my shock status and run to her, I see that Fugg shots at something or someone, probably the killer, it doesn't matter; all I can see is Miller. I hold her head and grab her hand, but I know she is dead, there is nothing I can do for her, she is gone.

Kyle shouts me something but I just can't understand a thing right now. I stand up, I know that I have to fight, if a stay here with Miller I'm going to get killed. In a second I have mi bow ready to shoot. Civilians run and I visualize the rebels, they have in their chest the capitol symbol. I start to fire and to gather my company. The rebels have grenades, but they are not very strong so it's easy to avoid them or to run fast enough to do not get hurt by them. This reminds me of the capitol fight, but it totally different, here we are two certain groups, you know perfectly who is your enemy. I see that Plutarch is hiding behind a group of cameras; I wish I could shoot him for coward. Kyle is now by my side and tells me that they are coming from behind too, they want to surround us.

"Everyone! Split in two groups, don't get all together, that is what they want us to do!" all nod and divide quickly. I am going to the front with Cam and Kyle. We start running and shooting to a bunch of rebels when we see a couple of them in the roof of the Justice Building.

"Gale! They have grenades!" Cam shouts to me.

"Shoot them!" I take down one of them but a rebel is just in front of me and I don't have time to shoot him too, so I get out my dagger and stab him in the chest.

"Gale!" I turn around and see Kyle pointing the rebels on the roof; they are going to throw the grenades to the other team. I shoot two arrows and take another one down, I guess he already had opened his grenade cause the roof exploded and all the Justice Building went down.

"Jane! No!" One of the rebels shouts. His scream filled with pain made me tremble. Cam throws a dagger that goes right into his heart and kills him.

They are almost no rebels left, I know that many have escaped, but I don't care, I don't want to go after them right now, I just want to make sure the rest of my company is safe. Kyle kills the last rebel of the front and we run to the back to help the others but before we got there they finished with them too.

A pair of green eyes stare at me, with anger, Trell pushes off Ross and comes just in front of me.

"Where you mad? Or are you just stupid? I can't believe you are the captain of the company! You are just the stupid cousin lover of Katniss Everdeen, and just because of that you are treated special, but you are just a stupid boy! You are no soldier!" He pushes me back and that was enough for me, my right fist meets his face and he falls back down.

"It seems that you don't know me enough Trell! I won my right to be called soldier, to be captain, Katniss has nothing to do with the honors I have." I try to control my tone of voice, but I am furious, angry, all I want right now is to strangle him.

He stands up with his nose bleeding, even more furious.

"Then why the hell you did not reacted to the attack! Miller was dead you brainless! We were under attack and you wasted time and lives lying down with a dead body!" I see he struggles to do not punch me in the face.

"That was my first reaction Trell, what you would've done in my place? Leave her?" I am for nothing taller than him, maybe I am younger, but that doesn't means I cannot be a leader.

"I would've said something! Order what to do!" He doesn't stands my look and stares away, I know and everybody knows by his tone of voice that he would've not know what to do either.

"Fighting will only make this worse!" Kyle comes and stands between us "and stop questioning Gale, he is our captain and whatever he says it's done, nothing you can say it is important now, the past is the past."

"We could've got killed!" Trell shouts to Kyle.

"But we didn't and have in mind that Miller did." Kyle answers. His words remind me of her dead body a few miles away and I order everyone to come and help take her to a safe place.

We walk in silence, Ross and Fugg carry her to the base and lay her down. I look at her and feel a cold fear running through my back, she still has her eyes opened, still smiling. I walked to her side and close her eyes, now she looks like if she was asleep, dreaming something nice. I look away before I start doing something stupid like crying, right now it wouldn't be the best thing to do.

The District is a mess, many other companies are gathered and together we count the rebels bodies, they are 57 (not counting the rebels that died on the Justice Building roof).

Many soldiers are making rounds through the District, others start to clean up the mess. My company takes the control of the situation and I order they make sure that everything is under control. I am just devastated, I feel like deep down Trell is right, it had influenced a lot that I was friend cousin of Katniss. I try to avoid thinking about it, but it makes sense. I convince myself that the best thing to do it's to get up and start organizing everybody to be ready for a possible attack, and controlling the movement of the District.

Many civilians now full our hospital service, many companies from districts nearby start to arrive and help. I see when two doctors cover Miller's body in a blue bag and put her in a small line of bodies that are not from the rebels. I look away and try hard to distract myself, but I just can't afford to see her like that, in a blue bag, alone.

The attack to the District is supposed to be kept secret, but that doesn't works out. I am in my room when I see the President Paylor talking about the attack, trying to calm down all the reporters that question her ability to stop the rebellions, she stands up and promises Panem that there was no way anything like this would happen again, that we will never go back to the capitols government.

My phone doesn't stops ringing, it makes me go mad. When the transmission is over the phone starts ringing again, I am so tired and sick of the noise that I answer.

"Gale?" My mother's voice surprises me, of all the people I thought that could called I never thought about her.

"Mom…"

"Oh Gale you are alive! I was so worried! We are all worried about you. WHY THE HELL YOU DON'T ANSWER YOUR PHONE? Do you have any idea of the hell we were passing through? I thought you were dead…" her voice broke. I hear her crying and someone asking if everything was ok.

"Mom don't worry, I am just fine, it is just that I hate this phone and I cannot stand talking to any of you, I won't go home."

"Who do you think I am Gale Hawthorne? Of course that I know that! But at least you could let your family know that you are safe and alive!" she starts crying again and I realized the pain that I caused her, she had not the fault that I was too angry at everybody.

"I am so sorry mom, don't worry, I am just fine." I started telling her to calm her down.

"I thought you were dead Gale, DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!" I am impressed of how quickly she changed from being a sea of tears to the furious mother I knew.

"I am sorry mom, it will never happen again" I tell that to calm her down, but I cannot promise that.

"You better" she orders me.

"I have to go mom, the funeral of one of the soldiers from my company is today" that is true, but right now all I want is an excuse to hang off the phone.

"I love you son, take care. We all miss you…" I close my eyes, her words make me feel like if I was home, with her.

"I love you too mom." I hang off and sit on my bed.

All my life I've hold on tears, for my dad, for Katniss, for my family, and now for Miller. I lie down and let a few tears come out, may them pay all of the ones I hold on and the ones I am going to hold today.

**Please review! I want to know your opinions:) _ Gabriela_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Funeral and Unexpected**

Not many people died in the attack, 23 to be exact, and of that 23, just one was a soldier.

The authorities made a simple schedule to order the funerals. It's Miller's turn.

I gather my company and guide them to the District 2 cemetery. The cemetery is located in the border of District 2, it is like a large meadow full of white squares that have inscriptions. _No, they have names. _I am in shock, all this squares are graves! Never in my life I've seen something like this, in the Seam most of the people die in the mines, but when it is of hunger or disease they burn the bodies and throw the ashes to the woods, only the VERY rich can afford a simple grave and this meadow is filled with them. It makes me mad in a way, but when you see it, it makes a terrible feeling of sadness.

Finally we reach a line of new graves, I see that some men are finishing caving holes, I gulped, the only idea of being in a hole makes me sick.

All my company gathers around the deep dark hole that is going to be the last place Miller is going to be. Her body is no longer on a blue bag; she is now in a simple wood coffin that has the Mockingjay's symbol, Katniss's symbol.

Plutarch stands at the front and invites us to say some words about Miller.

"I want to say some words" Fugg comes to the front and starts "I am sorry Miller… if my words are not enough to describe you, to thank you, I know they are not, but I just couldn't find a way to say goodbye." In his face you can see that he struggles with tears. He takes a deep breath before continuing. " I can't thank you enough for all the laughs and positive thoughts, for all the smiles and hope. I am sorry, so sorry that I didn't protect you, I should've seen that rebel, I should've stopped that arrow, but I didn't and I am sorry" A small tear comes down his face and he stands again in his place.

Cam stands up to the front "Thank you for reminding me how it is to have a friend, for all the listening, for all the joking, I will miss you so much…" she closes her eyes and goes back to her place.

I look around and see that nobody is coming up, so I stand up and walk slowly to the front and with all my strength I struggle to that feeling that reminded me of my father's funeral, just that I never saw his body, I just said goodbye to a lost men.

"I remember the day you arrived Miller, I remember your nervous look, your smile, your greeting." I smile to the memory, but it is a sad smile. " I will always remember your positive way to look at things, your jokes, all of the times you defended me, all of your smiles. I hope you find your family in the other side, I know you wanted badly to see them again. I will never forget about you Miller, you will always live in my memory, in my heart" I return to my place and sit down.

Two guys start to action a lever that lowers Miller's coffin to the bottom of the hole and later the filled it with dirt. _Goodbye Miller…_

We all stand up and return to our rooms slowly.

It is hard to say goodbye to someone, and I considered Miller my friend, so it makes it worse.

After a week everybody starts getting back to the routine, we train, take shifts to make rounds through the District.

I know that all feel the empty hole that Miller's death left; there is still a funeral air in the environment that honestly makes me sick.

"We cannot be like this anymore, we all know that Miller would've not like this" I start talking, I am sick of this emptiness " we must go on, we cannot cry for her forever!"

All my company looks at me, Fugg looks aside and then down, he is the one who most misses Miller, he was there when she died and he blames himself for her death.

I walk to be just in front of him and I rest my hand in his shoulder.

"You must be strong Fugg, for her"

"Wow Gale, you are deeper than before, what happened to you? I thought that war made people harder, not a sweet candy" All my muscles tight and immobilize me, her voice is terribly familiar. I slowly turn back and see a face that I never thought in my life I would ever see again.

"Are you still afraid of me Gale?" she asks mockingly.

**PLEASE REVIEW:) Tell me what you think about it so far, reviews make me write faster haha they inspire me :D _ Gabriela_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi there! I am sorry that this chapter is really short:S But I promise next ones will be even better, this is only like an introducing chapter to the next ones:D I don´t know if I should write in another's POV, I tried to write how Katniss feels after all this time and with Peeta, but I thought that it would be off my story. Should I do it? Would you like me to write about someone´s POV different than Gale? REVIEW and tell me from who's POV would you like to read Thank you so much for reading, and hope you are liking so far Gale's story after Mockingjay. Love you all. **_**Gabriela**_

**Chapter 7- Decisions**

I am furious, I push Johanna out of my way and head my route to the Board Room without paying attention to the confused expressions of my company. I enter to the base and walk quickly through the corridor and almost take down the door of the Board Room.

It seems that I've scared all in the room, I see that 4 captains are stand up and with their weapons ready, like if they were about to be attacked.

"So you have seen your new soldier" the new governor of District 2 stands up slowly, looking at me.

"Why did you send somebody without asking me? I don't want Johanna in my team, I don't want anybody to be in my team" it is hard for me to talk, my jaw is pretty tense right now.

"We are not asking you Captain Hawthorne, if you like a replacement for Soldier Gonmar, Soldier Mason is the new member of your company" that is it, if there is something that I cannot resist is to be forced.

"In that case, do not count on me anymore, I am done" I turn around and start walking out the door when the governor stops me.

"Listen to me Captain Hawthorne, I will not ask you if you'll like to have a new soldier, but I may tell you why" I turn to look at him, I take a deep breath and sit in the nearest chair, waiting.

The governor looks to all the captains and asks them to take a sit.

"As you know Captain, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark retired, Finnick Odair is dead and Annie Cresta is pregnant. The citizens of Panem have lost the most powerful images they had from the rebellion, but they know you, you are the cousin of Katniss, and Johanna was a winner and a soldier in the rebellion. You, Johanna and Beete are what is left of the faces of the rebellion, people thinks that while you are still fighting, everything is going to be alright, they trust you" I know that what he is saying is truth, I know how important it is to convince people that they are safe, especially in this hard times.

"Why you didn't told me about this?"

"That is a question that I cannot answer, I did not toke that decision, they just informed us" I know how easy it is to lie, I search for a sign that tells me that the governor is lying to me, but I cannot find anything, he is telling me the truth.

"Any other surprises I have to be aware of?"

"Not that I know, Beete is working in a special project, a simulation room that could help you practicing for a possible attack, and for what I know, it will be designed to make team missions. Maybe you can tolerate Soldier Mason if you spend enough time practicing around her" I nod and with nothing left to say I walk out the door and go to my room.

_I have a lot of mental job to do._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Dreams and Fights**

I cannot believe that Johanna is going to be in my team. I just can't stand her. She is so mean and cold, nothing matters to her. I wish Miller was here…

I lay down in my bed and stare at the roof, my life can't be more miserable. I close my eyes and try to forget about everything, I no longer care about tomorrow.

_"Why are you giving up so easily?" Katniss´s voice wakes me up softly, like a rising sun that shows its first lights into your eyes. I open my eyes and see her, beautiful as always and sitting in my bed and stroking softly my face._

_"This is a dream…" I close my eyes_

_"Maybe Gale, please look at me" I obey and look at her, her eyes are sad._

_"Do not give up Gale, not because I don't love you in the way you want it means that I don't love you at all" I sit down and grab her hands that are amazingly soft._

_"I know, I know, but it still hurts, please forgive Katniss, lie to me and say that you don't blame me for Prim´s death, please…" One of her hands frees of mine and rises to mi face._

_"I am not lying to you Gale when I say that I forgive you, it was not your fault. Now I know it." Tears are coming out, I feel relieved._

_She hugs me tight. "Gale… I know that this is hard for you, that you feel alone, but you are not alone, you will never be" I hug her with more strength; I don't want to lose her. "Your fight is not over and you have good people with you"_

_"I don't want more innocent people to die Katniss, I hate this"_

_"Then fight for that, may that be your cause for fighting" She rests her face in my shoulder. "You know… Johanna is not that bad, you just have to give her a chance, she may surprise you."_

_"I just don't like her" She laughs softly._

_"I know you are coming home, remember to give her a chance and never forget the reason you're fighting for. Promise me you are not giving up Gale, promise me…" Her voice disappears and I no longer feel her._

_"Katniss, NO! Please don't leave me! I beg you!"_

_"Promise Gale" Her voice sound like wind, and I can't see her anymore._

_"I promise Katniss, I do"_

A nock on my door wakes me up._ It was all a dream…_ I stand up and open the door. Beete.

"Hi Gale, how are you?" his eyes show that he hasn't sleep well, he looks even worse than me.

"Hi Beete, I am just fine"

"Great, I came here to tell you that the simulator is ready, I just finished it last night" oh, that is why he hasn't slept a bit.

"That's awesome Beete, I will wake up everyone and go with you in a minute" He nods and walks away. What time is it? I close the door and look at the clock in my desk. It is five O'clock.

I take a quick shower before waking everyone up, now I know what Peeta was talking about in his first interview with Caesar, this showers are pretty dangerous. All this buttons and different temperatures, the Capitol makes complicated even the easiest thing.

I dress up in my uniform and start nocking my company's doors.

"Wake up soldiers, Beete has a surprise for all of us" In less than a minute everyone is out fresh and ready. Everyone but Johanna…

What kind of person is she? She just arrived! She is fresh and with good sleep! There is no excuse! Why she cannot follow directions and get out of bed? Who does she think she is?

I walk out her door and start nocking harder and harder. "Soldier Mason, I want you out of bed in this second."

I listen to a moaning and that ends mi patience. With a strong kick I take down the door and in the same second I throw myself down avoiding for millimeters escaped the edge of a knife aimed at my head.

"Are you stupid or something pretty face?" Johanna is now up and really angry, but not as I am. I stand up in a fast jump and immobilize her against the wall.

"I don´t care who you are Soldier Mason, I don't care a shit! When I command you to get out of bed and get ready you must obey! If I command you to stand up you do so! If I command you jump, you jump! If I command you to run, you do as I say! Are we clear?"

She now looks at me like if I said something funny and laughs softly. "Yeah right, whatever my captain. So you finally took the role of leader?"

"Don´t push me too hard Mason, I not in my best mood" I let her go. "If you ever through a knife to my face again I will send you to prison for a month do you understand?"

"Your pretty face is so important to you?" She laughs again. I am losing it. _You promise Katniss, you promise._ I calm myself and smile to her.

"You have no idea" I walk out her room and stand in front of the others. "Let´s go to the training building, Beete has made a simulator and from now on we are preparing to future attacks with it"

**Hi everyone! Sorry I took so long to publish this chapter:S I have school now and I have no more time left for writing and publishing, but I promise to all of you to publish as soon as I can :D Thank you for all the reviews and keep telling me what do you think about my story:) Love you all! _Gabriela_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi there! Thank you so much for all the support and good comments of my story, I am SO glad you are liking it. Please keep reviewing and telling me your opinions and what you want to read, POV's or something. Next chapter is from Johanna's POV. Thank you so much! **_**Gabriela**_

**Chapter 9 - Simulator**

What Beete has created is amazing, in the Capitol war we practiced with mannequins that threw some blood when you hit the target, this room is more like the Block but better. I am not sure of the dimensions of the Simulator, but I think it is like a house. The Simulator works in the next ways, it "simulates" different combat situations in a very realistic way. Rebels shoot paint balls that hurt like hell, like a real bullet. The floor can shake, they are "mutts", they can unleash bees to simulate trackerjackers… in short explanations, everything that could go wrong, it is simulated here.

Every company has two hours of training in the Simulator per day. It is now a requirement for all companies in District 2.

When Beete ends his explanation we all have the same face of excitement, I can't wait to be in there and experience a "real" fight.

We put on the mandatory uniform for the Simulator and we are left alone inside, as the leader of the company I have a communicator and with it I can order and hear the others.

The room takes the form of the Nut, rebels are inside the Nut and are protected with rocks and have many different weapons. We were previously provided with Bows and arrows, swords and knifes, 2 balls that represent grenades, a s gas-mask and night vision glasses. I order my company to divide in two teams: Johanna, Kyle and Trell go to the left flank, Fugg, Cam, Ross and me to the right flank and we are going to attack them in both flanks together. We run and find protection behind a massive rock and start shooting, when you kill a rebel, it disappears and it is replaced by another one, it seems that they are millions of rebels!

Fugg throws at them a grenade, but he exposed himself too much and is shoot by a rebel. I see the pain in his eyes, it is a paint bullet, but it left him completely out of combat. I tell the others that we lost Fugg, I listen to the other speaking through the communicator, I can't understand a thing, it is all so confusing! I stand up and throw a grenade that hits just inside the Nut and kills many rebels, the other team, with the advantage of my grenade throw theirs and the Nut turns into a hell and brakes down. A couple of rebels get out alive of the explosions and run to us I order my team to get out of their zone and fight against the rebels. We run and meet them.

I stab one of the rebels. It feels so real! Like if you actually were killing a person, but it is only a hologram. I see how Cam and Ross take down a few more and I turn to see the other team, they have more problems than us. Trell kills without a problem, but Kyle and Johanna are surrounded by rebels.

I run to them just before, while killing one rebel, Johanna is stabbed in the back. I kill the rebel and ignore Johanna for a minute while I finish killing the other rebels, Ross decapitates the last rebel and the Nut disappears, we finished the mission.

I smile at my company, I feel pretty satisfied, but my happiness is interrupted by a groan of pain. _Johanna, I totally forgot about her…_

I run to meet her and find her lying on the floor.

"I can't breathe…" she whispers and then passes out.

"HELP! HELP!" No, please no. My heart starts beating fast, something is wrong with her. What happens? Beete told us before that if you are injured by a rebel or weapon you'll feel an electrocution, but really small!

_Calm down Gale, she cannot breathe, give her mouth to mouth respiration._ I begin giving her mouth to mouth respiration trying to make her react, to open her eyes, to start breathing by herself, but nothing happens. I stop to take a look at the beat of her heart, I hear nothing_. _

_SHIT SHIT SHIT! Don't die, please don't die…._

Doctors take her off me and take her quickly to the hospital.

I hate her, but I don't want her to die.

But that is just not it, I feel worse than that, my heart beats too fast, I am impatient, I want to know that she is alive, that she is all right. _What is wrong with you Gale? That crazy bitch tried to kill you a few hours ago._ O come on, she is not that bad, Katniss said it, I have to give her a chance, I promised… _In a dream Gale, that doesn't count._ Yes it does, shut up head.

I take away all my thoughts and start walking to the hospital_; I have to make sure she is ok._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Waking up**

**Johanna's POV**

Bull shit, bull shit, BULL SHIT.

_Stupid rebel! _

I feel how his knife finds mi back.

_It is not a real weapon, then why the hell I feel like if someone was burning my back! _

The pain wets worse, all the world is fading and nothing makes sense anymore, all I can feel is the bloody pain.

I am now on the floor, I can't get up, it hurts too much. I groan of pain. _What is happening?_ I try to breath but I can't, it hurts too much. I am feeling desperate.

_Why I can't breathe? Please someone help me!_

I open my eyes, I think that someone is near.

"I can't breath…" I whisper, and everything turns black. _I am so dead._

_#_

_#_

_#_

_#_

_#_

_#_

_#_

_#_

_I try to open my eyes, I can´t. Where I am? There is no pain anymore. I'm dead? No way, I can't be dead._

_Or am I?_

_What a perfect irony, I survived two Hunger Games, a rebellion war and now I am dead because of a Simulator? No way! _

_I try again to open my eyes and finally I see something that isn't the darkness, what is this place?_

_I stand up and admire. This is a forest, the most beautiful forest in the world, this looks like home… _

"_Hi there troublemaker" I turn around, that voice is so familiar…_

"_Dad?" I almost do not recognize him, he is so young, fresh and clean._

"_It has been a long time Johanna" His arms are wide open, I run to hug him._

"_Dad…" Good lord, I am crying, I am really crying! His chest is warm, just as it was. Wait. Wait a second. My father is dead. This means I am dead too?_

"_Am I dead dad?" the question gets out of my lips, I close my eyes for the answer. I am so dead._

_He realizes me from his hug and looks me in the eyes "No my dear, you are not dead"_

_What? If am no dead, the why is he with me? "I am dreaming…"_

"_No Johanna, you are no dead and you are not dreaming. You had an accident that got you pretty bad, I am here to be with you while you wake up." He sounds so confident, could this be truth?_

"_I don't want to wake up…"_

"_Johanna, you have still much to live, all you have to do is open your heart, you don't have to show your strong face anymore."_

"_Since you and mom were gone…" I start, but he interrupts me._

"_Johanna, listen to me and listen very carefully. None of what happened was your fault, you don't have to punish yourself." _

"_Yes it was! I should've never said no to President Snow, you paid for my mistake." Tears are falling down my face, guilt is now the sea in which I drawn._

"_Honey, you did what it was the right thing to do. I am proud that you said no to prostitute yourself to the Game Makers"_

"_But- but- that cost your life…"_

"_Sweetheart, I am proud to say that my son is a fighter and if your freedom cost my life do not doubt that I would give my life for you again."_

_I see into my father's eyes, I missed him so much…_

"_I love you Dad…" I cry _

"_We love you more Johanna" he hugs me tightly "Come sweetie, let's take a walk" I take his hand and we start walking through the forest, I was right, this is home._

_I don't know for how long we have been walking, all I can do is admire the greatness of the forest, the smell of pine and wood. I have no longer track of time, I am lost in this paradise._

"_Johanna, please give yourself a chance to be happy, you have still a long way to walk and I don't want you to do it alone." I roll down my face, I don't want any more friends, it hurts so much when they die. Finnick…_

"_I won't do that Dad, we are still in war and I don't want to lose a friend again…"_

"_Johanna… do not be afraid of death, everyone will die someday, the point of living is to love those around you and under the present circumstances, is to fight for the safety of those who you love."_

"_I have no one left… You are gone, Finnick is dead, Katniss is in her District very far away and well… I liked Annie and everything, but she was never that deep in friendship with me…"_

"_Johanna, give the ones around you a chance to be your friends, just as you did that with Finnick and Katniss." I rise my head to look at him, my dad smiles and the forest behind us begins to disappear. "Your mother and I are so proud of you, keep fighting for what you believe in and remember to open your heart." _

"_Come on Johanna, I now you can do this, you are strong, you are a fighter… please wake up" that voice sounds so clear and near, but there is no one here besides my father._

"_It is time my dear" what? No! _

"_Father no, please stay with me…" The light and my father are beginning to fade and darkness replaces all._

"_We are always with you" He is gone, I am alone._

"_Please Johanna, wake up, I now you can do it, come back to us…" that voice… it is so familiar…_

_I try to fight against the darkness. Where is that voice coming from? _

_Wait a second, I feel that someone takes mi hand. I grab the hand and do a last fight to open my eyes… and I succeed._

**Please REVIEW! I feel so alone if no one tells me what they are thinking about my story… So, I gave you Johanna's first POV, what do you think about it? Do you love it, hate it? Please review and tell me your opinions and wishes for my story. ****Thank you for reading, **_**Gabriela.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Hellow there! I am going to publish Chapter 11 and 12 at the same time cause originally they were just one chapter, but it was TOO long and I thought it would be easier for you guys to read like this. I hope you like it and please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW :) I LOVE reviews, they inspire me. Thank you all for reading! _Gabriela_**

**Chapter 11 – Memories**

**Gale's POV**

I reach the hospital, it isn't like I remembered it, it is a lot more quiet and calmed. I can see a bunch of doctors in the entrance, they are taking coffee or something.

"This is Captain Hawthorne, good morning, do you know of a new patient, Soldier Johanna Mason?" I try to stay calmed, but their faces showed me that Johanna's condition wasn't good. _Oh No… Johanna, please don't be dead._

"I am not her head doctor Captain Hawthorne, but I must warn you, she will probably won't make it" The doctor's face is worried, he is worried about my reaction.

"Can you tell me where she is? Who I can talk to?"

"She is now in intense therapy Captain Hawthorne, the best doctors in this building are making their best to keep her heart beating, it has stopped several times" I feel my chest hurting, I am worried about her. I cannot believe she is in danger of death. She is Johanna Mason, she has been in not only one but in TWO hunger games and has fought in a war.

_Relax Gale, she is going to be just fine._ I close my eyes, it is a real shock for me that she is dying.

"Captain Hawthorne?" I open my eyes to look at the doctor. "I will show you the way"

We walk in silence as I feel my chest pounding and sadness taking over me. Why are you like this _Gale? Why do you care so much?_

In my head memories start to show up, replacing my reality and taking the scene of the hospital away.

_I am walking to see Katniss, since she was shot nobody lets me see her, I know she is Ok, but I have to make sure. I get into the hospital's compartment and finally I get a glance of her, she is sedated. _

_In the bed that is just side her is another woman, she seems familiar, but she looks pretty bad, filled with bruises and very harmed, scars cover her face. I stare at her, she is looking to the front but she seems to do not be looking at nothing at all, her eyes are lost. I look at her closely and see that she moves her hands softly against each other. _

_I walk slowly to Katniss's bed and take a small look at her. 'Oh, I see why she is familiar, she is Johanna Mason, she is a victor' She was rescued along with Peeta and Annie in our mission to the Capitol, but I didn't saw her at all, I was pretty focused on getting Peeta alive._

_Katniss looks even more beautiful asleep, when her face is relaxed, with no worries._

"_Who are you Pretty Face?" Johanna's voice releases me of my thoughts of Katniss and now I stare at her, I don't know what to say._

"_Katniss's cat eat your tong or something?" she may be in bad conditions, but it seems that it doesn't affects her sense of humor._

"_My name is Gale, Gale Hawthorne" her eyes now analyses me, curious._

"_Oh I know you, you are Katniss's 'cousin' don't you?" she starts laughing and lies on her bed, tired by the laugh. "Yeah, her cousin, like if anyone could believe that"_

_I am confused, she is making fun of me._

"_And you are?..." I ask like if I didn't knew a thing._

"_Your worst nightmare" she answers with a laugh. My eyes open widely and she starts laughing even harder._

"_Are you afraid of me Pretty face?"_

The memory makes me smile. She really loved to say that, "Are you afraid of me Pretty Face?". I smile again, lost in that little piece of memory.

"We are here Captain Hawthorne, you cannot get in until they stabilize her, you have to wait" I take a sit in the corridor and the doctor looks at me one last time before leaving.

Hours pass, every minute is agonizing, nobody gets out, no one says a word to me.

Hope fades ass in my head I try to face the fact that Johanna might be dead.

After several hours of waiting finally a bunch of doctors with tired faces get out of the Intense Therapy room, I stand up, my wait is over.

"Who are you son?" one of the doctors now stands in front of me, he's face is wet and tired and in the men's eyes you could see that he was missing hours of sleep.

"I am the Captain of the company in witch Soldier Mason is part of" I answer

"Well son, I am sorry to tell you that we cannot be sure if she will ever wake up" I freeze, I am in shock, I just can't believe what this doctor is telling me. "After hours of fighting with her heart to keep on beating we finally stabilize her, but her brain and heart were so tired that she fell into a very serious coma son, I can't tell you that she will ever wake up"

"What happened doctor? Why she is like this?" nothing makes sense to me, Johanna in coma…

"The electrocution that she suffered was in a very delicate area in which she was recovering of a previous injury, the electricity traveled with no problem and smashed into her heart and lungs, making her lose the capability of breathing and then suffering a heart attack"

"This is all my fault, if I had only reach for her sooner…"

"No son, there is nothing that you could've had done for her"

_I am so sorry Johanna, I should've had got to you sooner, this is all my fault._

"Do not blame yourself son, she is stabile now, so you can go in with her, if anything happens press the red button, ok?"

"Ok, thank you doctor"

"You're welcome son" he turns around and leaves me just in front of the room. I don't know if I am ready for this, to face the idea that Johanna is in coma, but I have no choice.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi there! I hope you liked Chapter 11;) I recomend you to read Chapter 10 again before reading this chapter, for you to have fresh memory:D I hope you like this chapter and please REVIEW. Thank you all for reading! I hope to update soon, but I have to write firts hahaha I have toons of ideas for next chapters, I just have to find myself some time to write them:P _Gabriela_**

**Chapter 12 – Feelings and waking up**

**Gale's POV**

Time passes slowly, days, weeks, it has been four months since Johanna's accident. It has been a year and a half since I don't see my family, I miss them, I hate war but I am on it, I have forgot of how it feels to hunt in the woods, the fresh spring air in the Seam woods, the beauty of the mountains that are seen far beyond the woods.

The winter passed away swiftly and winter cold has been replaced by a warming sunshine that every morning rises ass a promise of a new day. I must admit that the breaking dawn here, in District 2, is far more beautiful than at home. The meadows that surround the District let you see clearly, I have never been on District 4, but the way in which all describe the clarity of a sunrise and a sunset at sea, I'm pretty sure it's almost the same as what can be seen here. It is simply beautiful.

Nothing has happened yet, every day my company gets stronger with the help of the Simulator, we guess each other's moves, there is no longer need to talk, nobody dies in our missions, no matter the challenge we always nail it out. We are no longer a team, we are a family.

Fugg, Cam, Beete, Kyle, Ross, Tresh (believe it or not we are on good terms right now) and I are always together, we train, we make rounds, we eat and talk together. The only thing that every night before going to sleep I do on my own, is going to visit Johanna.

She has been in coma for four months, her body is fully recovered of all injuries of war, her heart has made a recovery from the electrocution, her lungs work normally, her brain has low activity, but is something normal in someone with coma. Why she doesn't wakes up?

I enter to her room and sit by her side, every day I talk to her, doctors say I is good, that it helps, that sometimes it helps.

The skin on her face is fully recovered, only a few thin scars can be visible that are near her neck, but they will disappear soon, her face is calmed and fresh, like someone that just took a shower, I admire her natural beauty as always. She truly is a beautiful woman, the only thing is that as she is being fed intravenously and because of the lack of exercise, her body is thinner than before, but she is still stunning.

"Hellow Johanna, how are you today?" I make a pause, if someone saw he might think that I am mad or something, but it my way to talk with her.

"I remember you today you know? A rebel tried to stab me in the back too, but I killed him before he did" I smile and look at her, quiet as always.

"You won't believe me, but today Tresh said that he missed you, that he would love to see you throwing a knife to me again" I laugh slowly, every time I am with her I feel a great emptiness, sad actually, I don't know for how long she is going to be like this, and I know that with every day that she is on bed, the probabilities that she will never wake up and get into a vegetal conditions are stronger.

I look at her again, always waiting for an answer, an answer that never really comes.

_Oh come one Johanna! I know you can wake up! Where are you? Please come back, come back to me._ What the fuck did I just thought? _Did I just admitted any kind of love to Johanna Mason? No… this cannot be. How can I be in love of someone that is nearly dead? That hasn't even had a proper conversation with me?_

"Come on Johanna, I now you can do this, you are strong, you are a fighter… please wake up" It is the first time I beg her to wake up, I have no hope left_. Please Johanna, I don't know if I love you…_

"Please Johanna, wake up, I now you can do it, come back to us…" To me…

Her face is still plunged into an eternal sleep, I grab her hand. I hear the machine of her pulse starting to rise and I enter to a shock.

Suddenly her hand grabs mine and finally, after four months of being closed, her eyes open.

"What the fuck?" The impression and shock get the question out of my lips as Johanna stares at me confused. _What the fuck just happened? _


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Welcome**

**Johanna's POV**

"What the fuck?" I look to Pretty Face and see his eyes wide open, like he is about to suffer a heart attack.

.

_He was the voice that brought me back… Why is he here with me? He hates me…_

_._

"Gale? What are you doing here?"

.

Our hands are still together, he looks at me with impression in his eyes and then relief. He hugs me. _What the hell?_

_._

"Johanna… I am so glad you woke up, it is a miracle, I thought you were going to die…" he releases me from his hug, I don't understand.

.

"Going to die? What? For how long I was gone?" I was with my dad like what? Three days?

.

"Johanna, you were in coma for four months" What? How that happened?

.

"That cannot be possible…" I sit down in my bed with a little effort, I am weak.

.

"Yes Johanna, you almost died, your heart stopped many times and" I stop hearing his explanation about everything, I don't care, I still do not have the answer that is bothering me the most.

.

"Why the hell are you here?" he looks at me confused.

.

"Do you want me to leave?" he stands up slowly, but I stop him.

.

"No, I asked you a question, why are you here? You hate me"

.

"Oh…" he sits down carefully, without stopping the eye contact with me. "I am sorry that I made you feel that way Johanna, I want to apologize with you, for my behavior and… for do not going sooner in your aid, I am so sorry" I can't understand, Pretty Face is apologizing.

.

"Shit, when is a fucking camera when you need it… Pretty Face is making an honest apology and I will have no prove of it!" My answer takes him by surprise and starts to laugh.

.

"It seems that being in coma does not affects you sense of humor Johanna" we both laugh. _What a strange situation, never in my life I thought that this could happen._ Now Gale looks at me more serious. "So you forgive me?"

.

"Well Pretty Face, it seems that yes, I think I owe you waking up so… I have no choice"

.

He frowns without understanding my words.

"What?"

.

"Yeah Pretty Face, it was your voice the one that brought me back" My neck hurts, I guess that it is because of being lying in coma for so long. I ignore Pretty's surprise face and start standing up, but as soon as I stop supporting me with the bed and try to walk, my legs fail and I almost hit the floor.

.

"Careful Johanna, do not take it so fast." Good Lord, I think I am in the arms of Gale… I almost hit the floor with my face but he stopped that from happening.

.

"Thank you Gale" He helps me to go back to the bed and looks at me with a face that tells me that he was enjoying some kind of private joke.

.

"You said my name" He smiles. _Shit._

_._

"Do not believe yourself that lucky Pretty Face" I wink to him.

.

He laughs again, I am so tired… and I've been sleeping for four months!

.

"Oh shit, I've forgot of calling the doctors…" He presses the red button in the wall.

.

"Why you did that?"

.

"I guess that keeping for myself this little miracle is being a little selfish" he laughs softly. "Your doctors have been waiting for you to wake up for a long time, I guess it is fair to tell them"

.

In that second and old man, that I guess is a doctor, enters and sees me. His eyes open wide and smiles.

.

"It was about time child, welcome back"

.

.

**Hellow my dear readers! Yes, I know, this chapter is really short :S Sorry for that, but I promise next ones to be longer. I had a lot of fun thinking like Johanna, I just love her;) Please review! I feel so alone if you don't:/ Don't be shy and tell me your opinions and wishes :)) Thank you for reading! _Gabriela_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Phone calls**

**Gale's POV**

Johanna is still under observation in the hospital, they won't release her until a week passes without any problem. It is freezing outside the hospital, I have no idea of what time is it.

I get to my room and lay down in my bed, I feel relieved, happy, it has been a long time since I didn't felt anything like this. So much happened today, Johanna had a miracle waking up of a coma, we actually had a conversation without trying to kill each other and she said my name.

I close my eyes, something that was proved today was that… I wasn't truly in love with Johanna. At least not for now, I think. Maybe I thought I was because of the desperation or it was just a friends worry that I misunderstood for love. _Yeah, that must be it, you just misunderstood feelings._

I am falling into the arms of sleep when a ringing wakes me up. It isn't my phone, but the ringing brings back a memory.

.

.

.

.

.

_It has been a week after Johanna's accident. President Paylor commanded Plutarch to make me an interview to be broadcast to Panem, where I could explain the actual situation in the District and inform Panem of Johanna's condition. I really wasn't in the mood of making any of that bullshit, but I had no choice._

_It is nine O'clock and I am sitting on my bed, in a moment my interview will be broadcast. I don't want to see it, to remind myself again and again that I failed to Johanna. I lay my head in my pillow and wait till it is over when I hear the last words of the propo from President Paylor:_

"_Panem regrets the coma condition of the ex victor and rebel Soldier Mason, all our strength and good wishes are for her recovery"_

_The symbol of Panem is showed and then it is over._

_My phone starts ringing. Shit, sure my mother is again worried._

"_Yes?" I answer the phone._

"_Is she really that bad?" Peeta? Why is he calling me?_

"_Yes Peeta, the doctors don't know if she will ever be able of waking up" _

"_How it happened?" in his voice the pain is clear as water._

_After explaining the accident started telling me about how Katniss was, he has flashbacks sometimes, but he has never hurt Katniss. He started baking again, he says that every month he sends cheese buns to my family, he says they like the a lot. _

"_So, she is ok?" I asked_

"_Her scars healed successfully, she returned to hunt in the woods and we are back together" He makes a pause, waiting for my reaction._

"_I am happy for you Peeta" I really meat it, he deserved to be with her._

"_Thank you Gale, can I ask you for a favor?"_

"_Sure"_

"_Please call if anything happens with Johanna, we care about her"_

"_I promise"_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

It seems that I have a call to make…

I mark Peeta's phone and wait for him to answer. _He is going to be so happy to know that she woke up. _

Peeta picks up the phone.

"Peeta, she woke up" I say

"Gale? Is that you?" the one who answered was not Peeta. _Oh no…_

"Katniss…" I whisper.

...

**Hell yes, her we go! After almost two years Gale is going to talk to Katniss again!:) And no, he is not going to fall for her again. And no! He is not going to ruin Peeta and Katniss relationship, in my tory Gale is not a bad guy or a bitch;)**

**I think he also deserves to be happy*w* Please REVIEW, I wan't to hear from you! ~_Gabriela_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Apologies and dreams**

**Gale's POV**

"Gale please don't hang up!" Please, please…" I was about to hang up when I heard her screaming.

.

"Hey Catnip, it is ok, if you don't want me to hang up I won't" I wonder what we could possible talk about, her voice is not mad, she didn't start to swear when she recognized mi voice.

_Maybe, just maybe she forgives me._

_._

"Gale… it's been so long" her voice breaks.

.

"It is nice to hear your voice again Catnip"

.

"I am so sorry Gale, please forgive me, I was so stupid" I do not understand, why is she apologizing?

.

"Why are you apologizing Katniss? I am the one that must beg for your forgiveness"

.

"No Gale. I am so sorry that it took me so long, but now I understand that it wasn't your fault" She must be kidding, she has not reason or motive to apologize. "Katniss.." I interrupt her. "Shut up and listen Gale! I am sorry that it took me almost two years to understand that you created a war weapon; I know that if you had any idea of what Coin was going to use it for you would have never created it. Coin killed Prim, Gale. You didn't. I am so sorry to do not notice it or at least had admitted before, I was so stupid, so blind! I lost contact with my best friend, I let you go and blame yourself. Please forgive me, if you can"

Tears are all over my face. Her pain can be felt in every word.

.

"Katniss… you have no idea of how long I dreamed about this. Guilt eat me alive, shame made calling you impossible, forgive me Catnip, forgive me for being so stupid, for making that horrible weapon. You were right, it was too much. I was so blind.." I can hear her crying, she is miles away, but yet to close to my heart now.

.

"I forgive you Gale, please forgive me"

.

"You don't have to ask me for forgiveness, I miss you Catnip"

.

"Hunting is not the same without you Gale, it could never be the same" I smile. "I miss you too, your family misses you more, Posy has grown so much… Please come back"

.

"I am going to fail you with that, I can't go back"

.

"Why? Please, I beg you" I close my eyes, this is exactly what I hoped not to happen. I need to use all my will to fight against the idea of going back.

.

"I won't go back until I make sure that there is no danger, no more rebels, I made a promise to myself of making sure that my family and that you will never again have to suffer war"

.

"I don't want to lose you Gale… please promise you are coming back"

.

"I promise"

.

"Thank you Gale, I miss you"

.

"I miss you too Catnip"

.

I hear can hear Peeta's voice asking if I am ok, asking why was I calling at two am in the morning.

.

"Oh, yes, katniss, Peeta, Johanna has wake up from her coma"

.

"Peeta! Johanna is alive! She is no longer in coma!" Katniss happiness makes me smile.

.

"Can I talk to him?" Peeta asks Katniss.

.

"Gale, Peeta wants to talk to you"

.

"Yeah, sure"

.

"Hi Gale, how are you?"

.

"Fine actually, my day can't get better" I am actually telling the truth, I feel complete.

.

"That is great Gale, did she woke up today?"

.

"Yes, a few hours ago."

.

"Thank you for telling us, we were worried about her so much"

.

"You are welcome Peeta"

.

"Please tell her that we miss her, that we are relived that she is ok"

.

"No problem Peeta, I am happy for you, I see that Katniss and you are together" They must actually be pretty good with each other to be together at 2am in the morning, sleeping together… I shake my head to avoid thinking about it.

It doesn't bother me anymore, but is not nice to think about it.

"Yes, thank you Gale, I hope to see you soon"

.

"I have to go now Peeta, tomorrow I have to wake up early"

.

"Take care of yourself Gale and don't be such an estranger" his comment makes me laugh.

_Hell I had been an estranger._

"Sure Peeta, you both be safe"

.

I hang up the phone and go to bed.

.

My dreams are calm, I dream of my family, all of it.

_In my dream are my mother and father holding hands with my brothers playing on the seashore, Katniss smiling along with Peeta and on her lap is a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes, Prim dances on the sand with Rue and they both laugh together, Finnick and Annie are with their little son who is hugging his father tightly. My dream fills me with joy and hope, making me wish I never had to wake up, suddenly a beautiful girl of no more than three years pulls my pants to call my attention and says to me "Daddy, look at the sun" I take her in my arms and someone takes my hand, but I do not see who is it. The sun sets behind the water and just when it disappears, so does my dream._

**Opinions? Please comment what you think about how Katniss and Gale's friendship is restored:) Now, let me tell you that I had a pretty emotional moment writing Gale's dream. I closed my eyes and imagined the beach just about to have the sunset, and imagined all the family of Gale together, and I add some more people to the dream, people who I thought were important to be there. I couldn't add Cinna because it would make no sense at all haha but I wanted to... I hope you loved this chapter as much as I do. Please review and thank you for reading:* -_ Gabriela_**_  
_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Solo Mission**

**Gale´s POV**

I wake up, lighten by my dream and even though I slept for less than three or four hours I am fresh and ready. I enter to the shower, now it is much easier for me to take a bath (finally I know what this entire buttons are for).

Most of the times I take a quick shower with cold water, it helps me waking up, but right now I have 15 min before waking my company up, so I let the water to be warm. I chose a simple shampoo and clean my hair with calm, feeling the water in my back and face, it is so peaceful.

I dress up and before going I take a little look to the mirror.

_Where is the boy that used to hunt in the woods?_ My face and body are much stronger, my scars will forever be a mark of the war I fought, but besides the physical changes that are not so important, inside me I cannot longer find the old me.

War changed me, it changed us all, it turned us to a darker side.

_Where is the boy that used to run by the side of his best friend?_ He was lost, left in the woods of District 12, left alone since that reaping day, the day that changed all. I turn away from the mirror, there is no point in trying to find myself in it.

I wake everyone up, in less than two minutes all are out in line and ready for orders.

"Company rest" I order. (The "rest" position is to open the legs in the length of the shoulders with the hands together in the back) At my order my company takes their positions, but with a confused look on the face, I had never said that order before under the current situation (when we just woke up).

"I have good news for you all" I start saying.

"Captain, Sir, does your news have anything to do with letting us sleep a few hours more, Sir?" We all laugh with Ross's comment, such a formal way to say a joke.

"No Soldier Tocker, it is about Soldier Mason's condition" Now all look at me with attention.

"You said good news Captain?" Kyle asks with a smile in his face.

"Yes indeed Soldier, Johanna woke up from her coma a couple of hours ago" Everyone smiles.

"Is she coming back soon?" Trell takes the word and asks.

"She is under observation in the hospital, I don't expect her back so easily, four months in bed and a terrible physical condition are going to be hard to fight against, but I guess that her spot in this company will not be replaced, if they didn't when she was in coma I don't think they will now" Reality is that even though that none of my company knew before who Johanna was (more than a victor and rebel figure), after her accident I talked with them about the little moments we both had and all I know about her (things that Katniss explained to me) and they started to like her, worry about her condition and understand why she is like that.

"Come on everyone, we have two hours in the Simulator and I am sure that you don't want to waste them"

##################################################################################################################################################################

...

##################################################################################################################################################################

We dress up with the Simulator uniforms and start walking to the Simulator, but Beetee stops us just before we enter.

"Don't be so fast guys, you have proved that team missions are easy for you, you no longer make mistakes and honestly I had burned my head off trying to make harder situations for you to face but you all resolve them. So… today we are making solo missions" I smile with malice, solo missions! _Hell yes._

"Ok ladies, who is first?" I ask.

Me! I am! And all kinds of screams are heard, this is going to be fun.

"Hey, hey, in order, I am not going to choose, it is left to you the order, I am last" They are all smiling.

After a time of arguing with each other they decide an interesting order. The first to go is Trell, next is Cam, Ross, Kyle, Fugg and I am last.

"There you go Trell" Cam shouts to him before he enters the Simulator. He turns around and winks to her with a naughty smile and I just shake my head, this two are going to make me go mad someday.

We all run to the control room where we are going to see the entire show live. The room is full of screens and controls, it reminds me of the Gamemakers room (I can't remember in witch Hunger Games, in an interview, a picture of the Gamemakers room was shown).

Trell enters the Simulator and it takes form of a battle field that it seemed to never end, with nowhere to hide or to find shelter.

Trell takes out his bow, ready for the rebels to show out, and the fight begins.

Beetee presses several buttons and rebels start to appear from nowhere and start running to face Trell, most of them have swords and only a few have guns. Trell starts shooting like crazy and takes down like 6 rebels before being surrounded by a dozen; his sword is now on his hands and starts killing one by one each rebel.

It is impressive to the fight, almost exiting, Fugg and Ross are cheering and swearing and Cam just looks marveled by the show.

Soon Trell had ended with all the rebels, I take a look to Beete who is sweating, he presses another button and the Simulator shuts down to let Trell know that his mission had ended, he won.

Screams and cheers from all of us welcomes Trell as he shows up in the control room.

"It seems that you are next" Trell turns to Cam.

"Wish me luck" She smiles and runs to the Simulator as we cheer for her.

I turn to see Beetee preparing the controls.

"You really do an amazing job Beetee, I didn't know it was that hard to manage all of this" He looks flattered and smiles to me.

"Hell it is hard, I am alone here and have to make your mission realistic and a mess, the Gamemakers are 20-30 people to make your life miserable in the Hunger Games, and here it is just me" He is right, there are too many things to control and he is alone, he deserves more credit than what he has been given for.

Cam enters to the Simulator and Beetee starts making his magic again.

This time the arena has taken the form of a desert, filled with sandy mountains that are making Cam fall; it is hard for her to stay balanced.

Rebels start to appear and run to her and she gets out her knifes and starts throwing them, but soon she is surrounded and the fight begins to be personal.

The wind is so hard that rebels start to fall to the sand, Cam uses that advantage to kill the rebel that is now on the sand, but that distracts her from the five more that are behind her and one of the shoots her, but it hit on her left hand. Pain is all over Cam's face as she kills the rebels with her knife. A rebel is running to her and she kicks the sand that blinds the rebels vision causing him to kneel and making it an easy kill to Cam. That was so clever! Using her surroundings as a weapon, I smile pleased. She stands up and laughs, she is in pain, but she is satisfied.

The desert disappears and as Cam walks to the exit door she starts dancing and makes everyone laugh.

"Hell yeah!" She screams when she enters to the control room. Her hand is red and swollen, but it seems that she doesn't cares. "You are next Ross!"

Ross starts walking to the Simulator and turns around to give us a bow and we all cheer and start to clap, he is such a star right now, or so he thinks.

Ross enters the Simulator and it takes the form of a rocky mountain, Ross takes out his sword without thinking it twice, ready to face the rebels.

I don't know for how long I've been stand up looking the solo missions, all I know is that I am getting tired of being standing up doing nothing, so before true show starts I take a chair and sit on it.

Reality is that Ross's mission is boring, this isn't a challenge for him killing rebels with his sword, there is no true action and before we could notice he was already out and victorious.

When he enters the control room we all cheer for him and congratulate him, even though it was easy for him we must admit that he has flawless.

"It was about time! I am next!" screams cheerful Kyle before running to the Simulator, it is funny to see how we all take this as a game, not a training.

I look at Beetee and see that he is smiling, I wonder what he has in mind for Kyle.

Kyle enters the Simulator with a confident air and gets out his bow.

_How strange, the bow isn't exactly his best weapon._

The Simulator takes the form of a snow field, with cold winds that immediately start freezing Kyle, but he is still focused, ready.

The first rebels start to show up and Kyle shoots his first arrow and hits a rebel's leg, he starts shooting more and takes down two of them, but they are too close now. Kyle throws his bow and gets out his sword and a knife giving no chance to the rebels to surround him, he starts killing and taking them down. I must admit that the kid does it pretty well, at first he didn't seem to well, his first's kills with the bow were bad, but now he is showing how truly good he is.

The snow is falling down with more intensity, making Kyle and us a difficult watch.

One of the rebels uses that advantage to start shooting Kyle and I open my eyes wide, fearing for him, but in the same second I remember myself that this is not real, that he is not facing a deadly situation, but it seems very real.

Just before the bullet hits him Kyle throws himself to the snowy ground and throws his knife to the rebel that disappears in the storm.

Kyle stands up and takes down the rebels that are left, completing his mission.

I take a look to Beete, who is smiling again.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Nothing really, it is just a silly feeling of been proud, it was really hard to make this snowy scene" I smile and give some little palming to his back.

"Well, it seems that you did an amazing job as always, Kyle was freezing in there" He smiles to me and starts preparing the next scenario for Fugg, who is now looking down to the Simulator, preparing himself for his mission.

Kyle enters to the room with his face red and cold, but triumphant. We all congratulate him and cheer.

"There you go Fugg" he says with a smile as he receives from Beetee a blanket to warm up.

Fugg walks very calmed down to the Simulator, I have a deep admiration to that man, he has stayed strong even though he is old enough to retire and take a long trip to somewhere nice, it isn't late for him to find a nice girl and marry.

I turn around and see that Kyle is still shaking and I offer him my chair, he looks like he is going to fall down in any minute.

"Thank you man" he smiles.

"You are welcome kid" I joke and he laughs.

We both focus again to the Simulator as Fugg enters and the Simulator takes the form of a rocky ground with a river that flows through the entire scene.

He looks around and slowly takes out his sword, he is ready to fight.

"Here we go" The voice of Beete breaks the tension that Fugg had created in the Simulator and sends the first rebels to fight against him.

Fugg makes easy kills with smooth moves that show how skilled he is, his years of practice.

These solo missions have given us the opportunity of truly seeing the strengths and different ways of fighting of each one of us. When you are on a team mission you don't really have time to see how you team mate manages the sword or a bow, you just focus on your mission, but this is a real chance to get to know everyone's stiles of fighting.

More revels are coming out and Fugg begins to struggle as he is surrounded by more and more rebels. One of them takes out a very large sword an begins fighting with him, just by pure reflection Fugg gets down before the rebel's sword could cut him right in the stomach. Both swords now fight against each other, Fugg, with a very quick hand, takes out a knife and stabs the rebel in the chest before the fight grew longer and gave a chance to other rebels to kill him.

Fugg now runs through the river using the advantage of water as a diversion to kill more rebels, he has won his mission.

The river disappears and Fugg smiles triumphant.

_I am next. I wonder what the hell Beetee has prepared for me, it better be good. _

Fugg enters the control room and we receive him with congratulations and cheers.

"It is your turn" Fugg turns to me with a smile.

"Take them down man" I smile to Kyle and I walk through the hall hearing cheers behind me. _Hell this is going to be good._

I stand at the doors of the Simulator, I am so ready. I open the doors and stand in the middle of the room.

The Simulator takes the form of a deep forest with no road, just trees. _Thank you Beetee._

I smile, I am home. I take my bow off my back and prepare my first arrow.

"Send them to me Beetee" I narrow my eyes and take a deep breath.

_Let them come._

Rebels start to show up and I start to shoot. _Shit, they have guns._

I take down 4 rebels before I am forced to hide behind a tree before a rebel shoots me in the head. They are away by five or four bodies, I have no time left. I take out my sword and careful on making no sound I surround the tree and surprise the rebels from their backs. My sword meets the backs of two rebels that are killed instantly, others turn around and begin firing surprised, but I have advance from their movements and cover myself behind another rebel who was nearby, who receives all the bullets for me.

I take my sword and run hard against the rebels and start killing them one by one, but it seems that this never finish, killing one seems to bring two more from nowhere. My muscles begin to tense and my breathing to accelerate. My body is filled with adrenaline shoots.

I see that a whole line of approximately 10 rebels appears and I run through the forest. I hear the click of a weapon being prepared to fire and I take shelter behind a tree just before a rain of bullets is fired to my position.

I take a grenade from my belt, open it and throw it to the rebels for them to go back to hell, and they certainly do.

The grenade explodes just when it touches the ground and the explosion shoots me to the tree that is behind. _Fuck_.

My head hurts, but that's the least of my problems, it seems that I have to face more rebels. _Shit_.

One of them comes ahead and just before he reaches my position, helped with a branch of the tree, I give him a good kick in the face and stab my sword into his chest.

I grab with my left hand a knife, this is so over.

The next and final rebels are an easy kill, decapitating and stabbing one by one, making them disappear like dust in the wind.

With the corner of my eye I see the last one running towards me and I throw my knife to him and it finds its way into his skull, making him banish.

It is over, I won.

I smile, proud of myself. _Hell it was hard, but I made it._

I walk to the exit door with my fist rising in the air, victorious.

My head is burning, I touch the back of it and feel something warm. _Bull shit. _I look at my hand and see it is red with my blood. _Damn it._

I walk to the control room and everyone receives me with cheering and congratulations.

"Did you liked your mission Gale?" Beetee asks me with a smile on his face.

"I loved it Beetee, thank you" I answer with honesty, I loved that the mission was in the woods.

"You are welcome" He turns and starts working again on his control table.

"Gale… your hand is full of blood" Kyle says with a worried look.

"Are you injured?" Fugg comes to me with alarm in his eyes.

"I think I opened my head, it is nothing to worry about though, I will go to the hospital in a minute. Good work everyone, I will see you on our midnight shift, you may go now to your rooms or the training center. Eat and have a good sleep because you are going to need it" I order and everyone nods.

I turn around and head to the hospital. I am used to injuries and even though it hurts I manage to get to the hospital in good conditions and without complaining about the pain. _God knows I've been worse. _

I enter to the hospital and just grab the first doctor that comes by.

"Hi, I think I need some help, I opened my head, nothing very bad" The doctors nods.

"Please come with me" he leads me to a room and takes a look to my injury.

"I am going to need to sew you, it is a long cut and I can see that you have hit yourself quite hard, I am going to need to make a little study to your head to make sure you don't have a contusion"

"Yes doctor" I answer.

The doctor starts his work and cleans my head with alcohol, which hurts like hell. He sews me and then he makes me a few studies to see that everything in my head is fine.

All I want is to go to my bed, I'm so tired.

"The studies revealed that everything is fine Captain Hawthorne, but I will have to ask you to stay the night for you to be under observation"

"All right, I have to notify to my company that I won't be joining them tonight" I stand up, but my head starts spinning and I have to take a sit again before falling.

"We will make that. Here, take this pills with water and have some rest" the doctor leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

I take the pills and swallow them, after a while they start to make effect and the pain disappears giving me the chance to lie down in the bed and close my eyes to try to get some rest. This is a dreamless night for me, and I think it is better like that, nightmares leave me restless, and dreams leave me empty.

_Yes, I think it is better like this._

_###############################################################################################################################################################################_

_..._

_###############################################################################################################################################################################_

**Well, SEE THAT I DO READ AND TAKE NOTE OF YOU OPINIONS haha Some of you comment that they wished that my chapters were longer, and here it is! 3,400 words and they are all just for you;) Thank you for all the reviews and I hope you like this chapter, it took me a while to write it all down, I have school and exams, but I would never stop writing:D Please review! I want to thank my friend Mafer for correcting and giving me some pretty good ideas *round of applause for Mafer* Love you all - **_**Gabriela**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - Visiting**

**Johanna's POV**

_Hell I need to get out of here soon._

I know that I have just woke up from a coma two days ago, but having me trapped in this hospital will make me go mad soon. I just can't stand been locked and with tubes in my hands, it remembers me of the days after I won the Hunger Games, I was locked up and recovering alone like if I was a dangerous animal.

Yesterday I started walking again, it took a little bit for my legs to recognize and remember how to do it, but at least I didn't fall like with Pretty Face. Pretty face… it is weird he didn't come last night, doctors say that he always came. I wonder why the obsession of coming to see me in a coma, that makes no sense! Pretty Face worried about me… that sounds so fucking disgusting.

_I need to get the hell out of this room right now or I am going to go mad._ I sit in the edge of my bed and grab firmly the needles in my left hand and pull them away, it hurts like hell and I can see blood getting out of the little holes that the needles made in my skin.

I am so grateful with the doctors in the hospital, the new technologies and electromagnetic therapies made my muscles react A LOT earlier than what they should've had. My hands and legs are strong enough to help me move, I cannot do it fast, but at least I am not doomed to be in my bed for weeks waiting for my muscles to get stronger.

I stand up with a little help from the bed and walk to the bathroom to wash my face and dress up. I need to find myself something to do.

I look at my face in the mirror, it is the first time I have since four months ago and I don't recognize myself. It seems that doctors, since I was in coma, wasted their time fixing my face and living it with barely any scars, the scars that remembered me my fight, all that I had went through, they are gone. My face and my body are thinner and I just hate that, I look like when I just won the Hunger Games. My body was tanned before, but after four months of receiving no sun light my skin has turned into a lighter tone, still brownish, but barely. My hair is much larger, before it reached my chin, now it is on my shoulders. I turn my face from the mirror. _Who am I?_

Now I stand against the sink. _Water_… I shiver. _Come on you coward, you can do this, it is just water. _I take a deep breath before letting the water run. The sound makes me close my eyes and remember so much pain, so much memories. _Just wash your face! You can do it… this time it is not going to hurt. _Fear takes over me as I take a bunch of water to wash my face. I feel the water, I remember the electrocutions and I freeze. _I need to take this off me! _I grab a towel and rub my face vigorously to remove any drops of water that may be on it, surely my face is red from rubbing, I know that cause it hurts and itches, but it does not hurt as much as the memories of my torture on Capitol.

I can't believe that after a year of fighting against water and memories I can't wash my face in peace. It is just pathetic_, I am pathetic…_ I should be dead, just like Finnick and my parents.

I dress up and ignore the fact that I look like an anorexic chick, just like people from District 12. _Oh Brainless… who would've ever thought that I could miss you? _

I open my door and walk through the hospital, looking for something interesting to do. I think it is 7:00am or something, doctors are walking by with nothing to do, just like me. _Great, I get out of my room to walk with a bunch of unfriendly folk. Bah… there is nothing to do around here, maybe in my room I could find something interesting in the TV…._

"Johanna, what are you doing out of bed child?" _Shit. My head doctor caught me. Fuck._

"I was bored doctor, if I stayed longer in my bed I swear I could enter into a serious coma of boring" The doctor laughs softly, he is such a nice guy, always visiting me and taking to me about the news in Panem.

"Don't push yourself too much Johanna, you are not ready to go out of the hospital" He makes me his warning eyes look and smiles. "I got juicy news for you child"

I laugh, I really like this old man. "What news doctor?"

"We have a new patient in room 208"

"A new patient? What happened to him?" I wonder why I should care…

"He had an accident just like you in the Simulator, but he just opened his head, an explosion made him crash against a tree" I want to laugh, how pathetic.

"And who is this patient doctor? Do I know him?"

"I bet you do child, he is Captain Hawthorne" _Poor idiot! Hahahahahaha defeated by a tree. I can't wait to start making fun of him._

"You just made my day doctor!" I start walking fast to room 208. _He has no idea of what is coming, poor Pretty Face._

_##################################################################################################################_

_..._

_#################################################################################################################_

I open the door very slowly, making no sound for do not disturbing his dreams, for now. He is just over the bed and with his uniform still on.

He looks so peaceful, with no facial expression at all. I walk slowly towards him and prepare myself for revenge.

"WAKE UP!" I scream with all my strength.

Pretty Face wakes up scared and disorientated and falls of the bed with a scream and I just burst into laughter and fall to the couch and let tears fall off my eyes.

"Are you fucking crazy Johanna? You could've killed me! You scared the shit out of me!" His face is so filled with anger, it just makes me laugh harder.

"What is wrong with you?" He sits in his bed with a smile on his face. My stomach hurts badly and I can barely breathe.

Pretty Face starts laughing and turns his face from me.

"What is so funny Pretty Face?" I ask in between laughs.

"Your face" he burst into laugh. "You are red" He hides his face in his pillow and keeps on laughing, making his body tremble.

"So you are laughing of me Pretty Face? You should've had seen your scared face when I woke you up! It was priceless!"

He both laugh a little more and slowly recover our breaths.

"So, tell me Pretty Face… is a tree a fair opponent to you?" He laughs again, but this time slower.

"Who told you?"

"Don't you dare change the theme Pretty Face! I want to know how it feels to be defeated by a tree, pretty pathetic you know" He shakes his head with resignation.

"It wasn't an honorable fight, a tree is much stronger then I am" We both laugh again. He is so stupid, he can face an army of rebels but can't avoid being injured by a tree.

"I see that you are recovering pretty fast Johanna" I theatrically bow taking his comment as a complement. He smiles again. This time I put a little attention in his smile. When he smiles small wrinkles appear in the corner of his eyes and his face relaxes. It is adorable to see his little wrinkles and his eyes closed with his long dark lashes together.

"Indeed Pretty Face, soon I will be kicking your ass in the Simulator" I wink one eye for him and he shakes his head.

"You wish" I am about to reply to him but he wins me. "Someone sends you his greetings you know"

"What are you talking about?"

"Peeta and Katniss were very worried about you, maybe you should talk to them later, they estimate you Johanna" This totally changes mi thoughts of the moment. _Loverboy and Brainless talked to Pretty Face to know about my condition? Wow, this one is new…_

"Thank you Pretty Face, I will give them a call later" I smile to him, he is such a clever guy! He made me change the theme and stop making fun of him… next time he won't be this lucky.

"Well Johanna, thank you very much for waking me up, I must meet the others in the training center" He stands up and gives me one twisted smile. "I hope to see you soon back in action Soldier Mason"

I give him back a smile. "Whatever Pretty Face, you now that soon I will"

He rolls his eyes and walks away.

_Hell I do want to get out of here soon._

#####################################################################################################################

...

#####################################################################################################################

**Hellow people! I know, I know you all hate me for taking so long to update. I am really sorry you guys! I just had a pretty intense week hahaha:P I am REALLY starting to love writing in Johanna's POV, I just love her. Please review and tell me what you think, I have tons of ideas for this fanfic that I just don't know how to put them in order hahaha. I hope to update soon! Happy reading! - **_**Gabriela**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – President Paylor**

**Gale's POV**

"Hey Gale, how are you man? I was just coming to visit you in the hospital" Kyle's voice surprises me, I didn't expected him here.

.

"Hey kid, I am just fine, what is up? Why you're not in the training center?" Kyle smiles.

.

"We have a lot of things to talk about Gale, much has happened in the last week that was hidden from us" _Secrets? More secrets…_ I thought that secrets were only from Snow's government, now I see that we have not changed. But… why is Kyle smiling?

.

"What is so funny or good of being kept away from the truth boy? What is this all about?" He points his head to the justice building and we start walking.

.

"Relax man, even though if we were not warned before, these are good news"

.

"Speak"

.

"The governor came last night to inform us that District 1 is cleared, all the Capitol rebels were found in a great fortress, but their numbers were weak and were easily defeated. We are close to victory Gale, soon we can go home" The voice of the kid is filled with hope, a blind hope. _This has not ended; it is far from being over. The rebels have been strike hard and they will answer to this attack soon._

_._

Even though I know that this is not over I smile to him.

.

"Soldiers from District 1 are now here, we are all together to fight against District 2 rebels, the only problem is that they do not show up, we have no idea of where they are hiding" _That is the problem boy… we don't have any idea of their location and their number._

_._

"Well… all that you have told me does not answers my first question Kyle, why you are not in the training center?" Kyle stops his walking.

.

"I was going to the hospital to visit you and get your ass out of there, the governor asked your presence in special gathering in the Board Room, along with Johanna. I honestly have no idea of what is going on."

.

"Johanna is not ready for this…" _She walks and everything, but is too dangerous to get her out of the hospital, she is too stubborn._

_._

"Shit, you just remembered me that she is on the hospital, I must run!" The boy smiles one last time before running back to the hospital.

.

I am just in front of the Justice Building. _What is this all about? _Soldiers surround all the building with their weapons ready. _SHIT, Paylor is here. Great, just what I needed. This cannot be good._

_._

I wait outside for Johanna and Kyle to come. _Fuck the President, she can wait all the hours of the world for me, it is the last thing she can do for keeping us secrets again._

_._

After a couple of minutes I can see Kyle and Johanna coming.

"Hey Pretty Face, do you have any idea of what is this all about?" She is not stupid, she knows just like me that all this shit is no good.

.

"No idea Jo…" I was about to say her name, but I stopped; it is time for her to get a little nickname.

.

"How the hell did you just call me?" I have to make the best effort to do not start laughing.

.

"Jo, come on, let's hurry, they are waiting for us" I offer my arm for her support, she takes it and before I can notice she rises her left hand and strikes it against my head.

.

"Do not call me Jo, I am the only one who can give nicknames" she gives me a quick smile before we enter the Justice Building.

_Fuck this girl still knows how to punch._

_._

We both enter to the Board Room to find it filled with the most important people of Panem gathered. President Paylor and the twelve governors are sitting in order, Plutarch and the secretary of security whose name I cannot remember, Beete and two empty chairs complete the table.

.

"Be welcome Captain Gale and Soldier Johanna, we have been waiting for you" I help Johanna to get to her chair and we both take a sit along with the others.

"As you have been told District 1 is now under control, today we shall put in to table our next moves to discover where the rest of the Capitol rebels hide and the destiny of the traitor Enobaria." Her facial expression changes into a mask of anger and hidden power. _What the hell is she talking about?_

_._

"I do not understand President Paylor, why this was hidden from all Panem? What are you talking about Enobaria?" The governor of District 6 takes the word.

.

"Our soldiers discovered a secret base in one of the mines of District 1 and informed us about it, we kept in secret our information and only a few from the Capitol knew about this. We made an attack plan and choose that the attack day would be on the day Thursday of the past week." We all listen with attention, no voice, no sound, every eye is now fixed on Paylor. "Our army reached the mine, but the rebels were waiting for the attack and were given great weapons to defend their base. The fight was a slaughter, the cost was incredible, but we obtained victory."

Silence is made in the Board Room. _This son of a bitch let soldiers be killed without caring about anything but victory. Why didn't she ask for aid? Why we weren't send to help?_

Johanna takes the word breaking the unending silence. "And you are ok with it? Leaving Panem blind and unaware of the dangers and the war that was fought in District 1? Do you believe that is was fair or coherent to left alone the soldiers District 1 so that they would fight without any backup against the rebels?" I agree with Johanna, but I know that her words will bring us problems. _Shit, Johanna and her big mouth came to fuck the day._

_._

"Soldier Mason, how good is to see that you joined us alive. You will see my dear that you have absolutely no idea of how hard it was to calm down Panem after the attack that District 2 suffered. Everyone feared a rebellion too strong to repel it. It was like saying to a child to close his eyes while the danger passes, it was simpler and safer than freaking them out with the truth." She has a point, but never the less it is wrong to keep the truth, especially when there is a war coming.

.

"Why didn't you informed to soldiers in other Districts about the attack, we could've had helped" Johanna replies.

.

"It was a matter to be kept under secret, informing different companies of the other districts would only reveal our plan" Paylor answers.

.

"And what about Enobaria?" Another governor asks.

.

"After the attack we investigated in base of data of the rebels from where they had been informed of the attack and the investigation leaded to Enobaria, who was controlling the Capitol rebels and their assaults to gather strength to do a final attack to the Capitol and naming herself as new dictator" My eyes open wide. _It was the Mockingjay's treaty the one who saved Enobaria from death… Will Katniss be punished for this?_

.

"We now have her in prison and ready to be questioned about the whereabouts of the rebels in District 2, but she will not be an easy test, she is willing to die before giving us any information so we have to be ready for any kind of trouble in the District. I now command to every company to stand presence in District 2 and to be ready to fight, cause as soon as we have the information we need, we will give our final strike" _Then so, we are close to the end, this could finally be over soon._

_._

"Governors, now I ask you to return to your Districts and to send your companies here, you may now go. Please everyone leave this room except for Captain Hawthorne and Soldier Mason." _SHIT. SHIT. SHIT. Thank you so much Johanna, we are lost, this crazy bitch is now punishing us or something. Bullshit, how can we get out of this alive? _

The room is emptied and Johanna and I are left alone with President Paylor.

.

"Is there something wrong President Paylor?" I ask when the door of the Board Room is closed leaving us alone with her.

.

"No, on the contrary Captain Gale, I will extend you both a special permit to leave District 2 for a couple of days" The words of Paylor take me by surprise. _What is she talking about?_

_._

"How is that?" Johanna asks without understanding.

.

"As I have said, and I also came to give you a special invitation to the wedding of Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. It will be celebrated in the Capitol on next Saturday and as much as the bride and groom I expect to you to be there"

_That was unexpected…_

**_#######################################################################################_**

**_..._**

**_#######################################################################################_**

**__Hey there!**

**Thank you so much for reading! Yes, I am writing the wedding of Peeta and Katniss but I need your help. Please review to answer me the next questions: Should Gale be best man? Should Katniss be wearing a Cinna dress? Who could be the maid of honor? Would you like more romance between Gale and Johanna? PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME!:D Any special wishes? I am all yours:) - _Gabriela_**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – Johanna Mason**

**Gale´s POV**

"It seems that we have a hell lot of problems Pretty Face" I give her a glance filled with anger. I am not in mood to stand her jokes. "Aww is someone mad because he is still in love with his cousin?"

.

"Shut the fuck up Johanna, that is not the case, we are in the middle of a war and Paylor thinks that it is more important to celebrate a wedding"

.

I am no jealous; I had accepted the fact that Peeta and Katniss were destined to be together, maybe the only thing that bothered me was that I had to find out that they are going to marry thanks to Paylor. That was certainly not nice. I can't imagine Katniss right now, finally she accepts to marry Peeta and now she is forced to make her wedding a public event.

.

"You are too silent Pretty Face… is something bothering you?" We have almost reached our rooms with my mind thinking only in the wedding, my best friend getting married in times of war, I had promised myself that I would keep her safe and now I am forced to face her and be on her wedding while nothing is certain.

.

"I was just wondering about the wedding" She smiles sadly.

.

"What is wrong Johanna?" Johanna sad, that is something new.

.

"It is nothing Pretty Face, I just thought that by now war could be over." I understand her pain. "War has taken so much, so many have died…" Her eyes betray her and now are filled with tears. Johanna Mason crying.

.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, would you like to come in?" I open the door of my room and she nods. We both enter and take a sit in my bed. "Would you like to tell me your story Johanna?"

.

Tears fall upon her cheeks and I can see more that are about to fall from her eyes.

"It is not a nice story Pretty Face" She smiles with sadness and hides her face in her hands.

.

"I am a good listener" Her eyes now confront mine, I take her hand and gently squeeze it as she begins her story.

**##############################################################################**

**...**

**##############################################################################**

"You know that I am the victor of the 70th Hunger Games, but my story begins before the reaping, when I still had a family" I listen carefully. "My father was named John and my mother Louise and I was their only child. Both of my parents worked in the woods and I was raised between them. My father was an honorable man filled with love and compassion, and my mother was my best friend and listener. If I was not in the woods I was at school, thing that I didn't care about much" we both laugh softly and she continuous. "I know how to manage an ax because all my life I had helped my father taking down trees, I made myself a loner, leaving just with the company of my parents and the woods. Two years before the 70th Hunger Games my father had an accident that kept him in bed for moths, the work of my mother was not enough to fed us and to pay for the medicines that my father needed, so I took my first tesserare, my father recovered but his work was not paid in the way it was, so I had to take again more tesseraes and I was reaped." Her eyes release mines and now she looks to the floor. "My games were not honest or great, you know that I pretended to be weak, but I was decided to go back home for my parents, they needed me" Her head is still down and tears fall to the ground. _She is ashamed of what she did._

_._

"Johanna, you do not have to feel ashamed or dishonored, at least not with me, I understand you" I hold her hand and she continuous.

.

"My games were filled with death and pain, being with the careers was a torture, to see how they murdered innocent children without thinking or regretting. I am not proud of the way I killed them, but in there it didn't felt that bad. Now their deaths hunt me every night along with every death I have seen along my mentor years and war." She makes a little pause before closing her eyes and start crying again.

.

"Johanna…" I whisper.

.

"Listen Gale, after I was claimed victor Snow had a special meeting with me." I open my eyes wide, the worst part is about to come.

.

"He said to me that the Game Makers were impressed with me, that they required my services as-as" she takes a deep breath "as prostitute"

.

"Good Lord Johanna, did you?..."

.

"No Gale, I refused to, I refused and I paid that with blood, I wish I could go back and say yes" Now she cries harder and I hug her. _What have they done to her?_

_._

"He killed them Gale, he killed them without mercy"

.

"Who was killed Johanna?" She cries again.

.

"My parents, my-my parents we-we-re found u-under fla-fla-ttened under a stack of lo-gs" She is shaking and crying. I close my eyes that they are now filled with tears. _May you burn in hell Snow._

_._

"I am so sorry Johanna" I hug her tightly as she slowly calms down.

.

"I just wish I could see them again, I just have my dreams, but mostly they are nightmares" She looks at me again, her face is red and her eyes surprisingly have still more tears.

.

"I wish that too with my dad, but I know that he is in a better place" Now she is the one hugging me.

.

"What happened to him Gale?" I close my eyes and hide my face on her hair.

.

"He died in a mine explosion" I answer in a painful whisper.

.

"I am sorry" I start stroking her hair.

.

"Everything is going to be ok Johanna, this will end soon, I promise"

.

I keep stroking her hair until I feel her hands releasing me from the hug, she has fall asleep. I lay her down in my bed and I take a pillow and lay down on the floor. Johanna had opened to me, now I know why she tries to be so strong… she has suffered too much, Snow took everything from her, but that is going to change, I know that someday she is going to be happy again.

_After this war ends, I know that she will find happiness; I will make that happen, no matter the cost._

**_########################################################################_**

**_..._**

**_########################################################################_**

**__Opinions? Please REVIEW! Thank you so much for adding my story to you alerts and favorites, I am so honored! - _Gabriela_  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Water**

**Gale's POV**

"Wake up Pretty Face!" The voice of Johanna ends with all my hopes of having a long sleep. My neck hurts, a lot. I think it wasn't such a good idea sleeping on the floor… I am sored.

I moan for her to get away but I know that Johanna will not let me in peace. A cold glass of water ends with my dreams and a range of fury now begin through my entire spine.

"Are you fucking crazy! Why the hell you did that!" _Damn that water was fucking freezing!_

Johanna sorts into laughter and falls to the bed.

"Why are you laughing?" _What I needed… do I have something in my face?_

"Yo-you should s-see your fa-face!" Johanna answers with difficulty in the middle of a laugh.

"Arg, you are so freaking bipolar" I enter to the bathroom; I really need a bath before traveling to the Capitol.

"Hey Pretty Face, make it quick that we need to go to the train station, you don't wanna be late for your beloved cousin's wedding do you?" Even through the door I can notice in her voice the big mocking smile that she had while she teased me. _Breathe Gale, she is just nuts. _

I take a really fast shower and roll my towel in my hips. _Shit, I forgot my clothes. Well, what the hell. _I open the door and ignoring Johanna's shocked face I walk straight into my closet to search for a comfortable couple of jeans and t-shirt for traveling.

"Wow Pretty Face, you really got some good abs in there" _No blushing bullshit Gale, control yourself._

"Thank you so much Johanna" I answer like nothing.

I walk to the bathroom with my clothes trying really hard to do not smile. Johanna's embarrassed and shocked face just made me smile, I am flattered. I dress up quickly and in a second I have my things ready to go to the train station, District 2 is really close to the Capitol, so the journey should take six hours or so.

"You are not taking a bath Johanna?" It is so weird that she wasn't the first one to take a bath, woman are the ones that most worry about their hygiene and that stupid stuff.

"I will do that on my own and alone on the train my dear Pretty Face, my problem, I like more the shower in the train than in here, it is hell less complicated" I raise an eyebrow, is she running away from a bath? I shut my mouth and keep the questions to myself, there is no need of pushing Johanna more and make her tell me her things like last night.

"Ok, let's go"

We both enter to the train and without a word head to our rooms.

I am so confused by her, she is so bipolar! Last night she was so fragile, she opened her heart to me and told me everything about her, this morning she was such a burn and like if she was pissed with me, then she was kind of psycho laughing about me and then she blushed because of me half naked and now she is ignoring me. _I really have no idea of how to understand women. _

I jump into my bed and close my eyes hoping to fall without delay into the arms of sleep.

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

_Where am I? Everything is shining and people are staring at me, but staring with joy. What the hell? The glow slowly disappears to reveal an altar with a beautiful bride waiting for me. Katniss's hair is carefully curled and falls behind her like a black waterfall. Wait. Black? Katniss's hair is not back…_

_I turn my head to find Peeta and Katniss sitting together in a bench just before the altar with big smiles on their faces. What the hell is going on? I reach the altar and the mystery bride reaches her hand to me with a big smile on her face, Johanna. _

"AHHHH! NO PLEASE NO!" her screams pull me out violently from my dream. I stand up and run with as fast as I can to her room. _Shit, they have Johanna! The rebels are torturing her!_

I have no weapons, no way of getting her safe without dying but it doesn't matters right now.

"STOP PLEASE!" Her screams filled with pain make me shiver.

I get to her room to find the door closed, with all my strength I quick it waiting to find the rebels, but there is no one here.

I hear her crying. She is on the bathroom. I quick the door and stop shocked.

Johanna is crying in a corner with her hands covering her face of the shower with water falling all over her. She screams again and I enter for her, ignoring the fact that she is naked and punching me with strength, like if I was the one torturing her. I carry her to her bed and hug her tight, receiving all her punches and without letting her go. She cries against my shirt.

"Everything is alright Johanna, no one is going to hurt you, I am here, you are safe" I whisper to her ear slowly, trying to make her calm down.

She is so beautiful, so tight, so strong. What they did to her?

"Calm down Johanna, I am here, you are safe" I repeat several times until her crying stops.

"Wh-where am I-I?" She asks with her face still hidden in my chest.

"We are on a train to the Capitol Johanna, we are going to the wedding of Katniss and Peeta" Her face now faces mine. _Look at her face Gale, look at her face. _

"Why I am wet?" Her eyes are red and I can see that she hurt herself with her nails in the shoulders.

"I think that you were trying to take a bath Johanna" She looks to the floor and her wet darks hair falls down with her. _Johanna needs help Gale! Focus!_

"Are you alright Johanna? Why taking a bath made you scream like if someone was torturing you?"

"I thought it will stop, THE STUPID DOCTOR SAID IT WILL STOP!" She screams and cries again and I just hug her again.

"It is alright Johanna, do you need anything?"

"Yes, I NEED TO TAKE OFF THIS FUCKING WATER!" She screams desperate and I just run to the bath to take the first towel in my way and put it around her body.

I sit again and hug her.

"Thank you Pretty Face, I am sorry if I scared the shit out of you" She laugh softly and so do I.

"Why are you scared of water Jo?"

"That is how the tortured me Gale, in the Capitol…" Good Lord, I close my eyes and try to shut down all the images that across my mind. Johanna wet and electrocuted, her face being sunk over and over again in a tub to the point that she nearly drowned and everything to get information about the rebels.

"I am sorry Johanna" I whisper.

"Don't worry" She stands up with her towel covering her. This time I can't stop the blush from coming.

"You have to be kidding me Pretty Face!" She laughs and punches friendly my shoulder. "You should be proud of yourself, you just saw me naked, few men alive can say that" I just shake my head and laugh a little more. _There is the Johanna I know, almost died scared of water and she still has a joke to say._

"You may say the same thing Jo" She raises both of her eyebrows surprised.

"Really? I thought that with your Pretty Face and that stupid superiority air you should have already shown your qualities to many" We both laugh again.

I close my eyes and shake my head again. I feel a little kiss in my cheek, I open my eyes surprised. Johanna kissed me.

She is smiling mockingly, enjoying my reaction.

"Thank you Gale" I smile to her.

"You're welcome Jo" I answer.

"No get the hell out of my room before I quick your ass off" I smile wither.

_That is my Johanna._

_.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

**_Hellow my Dear readers! More Johanna and Gale love/friendship! They kissed! yes, in the cheeck, BUT IT WAS A KISS! Yes my dearest, the wedding is close and NO ONE reviewed to answer my last author note ¬¬' Please please please REVIEW! :) Love you all! - Gabriela_**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 – Dr. Aurelius**

**Johanna's POV**

_My name is Johanna Mason. My home was in District 7. I was reaped and won my Hunger Games. All my family is dead because of me. I went to the 75 Hunger Games and help the rebels to get Katniss Everdeen out alive. I was captured by the Capitol along with Peeta Mellark and Annie Cresta, they tortured me with water searching for information. I heard the screams of Peeta and Annie everyday along with my own. The rebels rescued me and we won the war. It has been a fucking year and I can't take a dissent bath without screaming and having flashbacks._

_ My life sucks bad ass._

I stand of my bed and take the phone. That stupid _Dr_. Aurelius said that I could take a bath by now with no problems.

.

"This is Dr. Aurelius speaking" I am about to scream like a mad person, but I remember myself to be under control before he sends me more fucking medicines.

.

"Dr. Aurelius, this is Johanna Mason" I answer. Probably my face is red of the effort of containing all the fucking things that I want to reclaim him.

.

"Johanna! How nice to hear from you. How are you doing?" Shit Shit Shit. Control Johanna, CONTROL.

.

"I tried to take a shower today doctor"

.

"And how was it?"

.

"I almost died trying" I put all my anger in my voice.

.

"Johanna… you know that these kinds of things take time…" SON OF A BITCH!

.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT? YOU PROMISED ME THAT IT WOULD STOP… you, said soon" My voice breaks as tears of anger fall in my cheeks.

.

"Johanna, please calm down, you are just recovering for a coma and you are back into war. The chances right now of you getting over this trauma any time soon are none, you have to take your medicines and go to therapy" My muscles tense of fury.

.

"I don't care a shit about your stupid therapies, and my coma is no excuse. I can't live with the fear of dying scared in the shower"

.

"And how did you get out of the shower? You did it yourself?" The question completely changes my thoughts for a second. Gale. He saved me from dying. Good Lord he just saw me naked and didn't take advantage of me. I let myself smile for a second. Jeez, that boy is going to kill me someday.

.

"Gale me screaming and got me out" I answer with a smile still on my face.

..

"Well, I am glad that you have someone with you Johanna" Wow Wow Wow What?

.

"What? No, no he is not with me"

.

"Then how he was near enough to hear you my dear?" My mind is still on the part on Gale 'with' me. My mind wilds in the dream of waking up every morning by his side. JOHANNA MASON FOCUS. Why the fuck are you thinking about Pretty Face? Stop the bullshit right now.

.

"We are on our way to the Capitol doctor, to the wedding of Peeta and Katniss" I answer firmly.

.

"Oh you are? Great was for me the news of their wedding, their recuperation has been a lot more effective since Peeta moved to Katniss's house, his flashbacks have reduced to one a month! And of course with Peeta, Katniss almost has no nightmares." I smile a little. Brainless has finally got it right with Lover Boy.

"I am happy for them, they deserve to be happy."

.

"We all do my dear." Will he ever stop dearing me?

.

"Goodbye Doctor"

.

"Good luck at the wedding Johanna"

.

"Thank you" I hang up the phone and quickly dress up.

.

_This has been quite a journey…_

######################################################

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOON. Many of you have comment about my delay and I am really sorry for it. I had a great amount of work before graduating and I couldn't find a moment to write plus I have like this huge writer's block because I am nervous of writing the wedding. Please answer me a few things if you can First, should Katniss wear a Cinna dress? Johanna and Gale maid of honor and best man? Are you ok with naming Finnie to the son of Annie and Finnick?**

**Please comment! I love you and thanks for reading! **

**_Gabriela_**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 - Family**

**Gale's POV**

_**Hi there! I really hope you like this chapter, I am doing my best to update sooner and making the chapters longer haha but this story has still more chapter and I really want to enjoy writing it with time and not ending it in this month writing one chapter a day or something**__** Please review! I LOVE your comments3**_

_**My dear ANONYMOUS, I hate that Katniss and Gale were 'forever' enemies because of that bomb, that is why in chapter 15 I made this little reconciliation between them;) But you are right, it will be too much if he is best man. I never shipped Katniss/Gale relationship, I am totally Everlark, but I think that Gale wasn't guilty of Prim's death and I think that he deserves to be forgiven and to have a happy ending too.**_

_**Gabriela**_

_**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**_

The train has stopped.

My mind travels through lots of thoughts at the same minute, Johanna, Katniss, my family, the war… there are so many things that now I have to face. _Katniss, oh Katniss, did you forgive me in a moment of desperation or your words were truth?_ My family, I wonder how tall is Posy now, my brother Rory, will he ever forgive me for Prim's death? I know that he had a crush on her.

Johanna, she has been so distant since the shower event, she is avoiding me with all her strength and I just feel like an ass. To be around her makes me shiver, but at the same time it produces me sadness, I think that maybe helping her in the shower made her mad or something and that she will refuse to ever talk to me again.

I wonder why… _have I done something wrong with her too?_

I look out the window and marvel myself again with the greatness of the Capitol, that no matter the rebellion its greatness and beauty can't be undone. Memories come and present themselves just in front of my eyes, the war. We stopped close to the center of the Capitol, I remember how hard it was for us to come any closer, so many lives lost to grant us passage here and right now I traveled it in less than 2 minutes.

"Hard to look at it again Pretty Face?" I turn to see Johanna with her arms crossed upon her chest and a severe look on her face.

.

"So now you are talking to me again Jo? I thought that your eternal hate could last forever" I give her a little mocking smile and she returns it.

.

"Not at all Pretty Face, not at all" she slowly turns back.

.

"Jo, please tell me what the fuck is wrong with you" I stop her in the middle of the way to our rooms.

.

"Nothing is wrong Pretty Face, I just need some time alone" Her eyes are tuff and unreadable. "Now please have the kindness of getting out of my way before I break one or two bones of your body" I smile to her and turn to my room.

_I will never be able to understand her at all._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The train doors open and my body freezes. _My family is here._

"Gale!" My little Posy runs like crazy to hug me. How much she has changed in a year! I cannot longer see the tiny girl that every day kissed my cheek before going to the mines. I smile so hard that mi face can break at any minute as she reaches me and I raise her and spin her around. Her soft laughter is like music to my ears. She hugs me tight, her hugs lefts a very clear message, I don't ever want you to leave. "I missed you so much Gale…" she whispers to my ear.

.

"I have missed you too my little girl" I put her down to see Rory. He is a man now, within a few years he could be even taller than me. He makes his way and hugs me, in his eyes there was no hate at all, thing that makes me relived.

.

"It is nice to see you man" His voice has changed; he is really turning into a man.

.

"It is good to be back" I smile to him and I make my way to see mom.

.

She is standing alone, watching us reunite to the old family we used to be with a big smile and tears. I open my arms wide, inviting her. Tear fall down and she runs to hug me. "My stupid Gale. Oh son I have missed you so much, it has been like if my heart has torn apart and you took a part without permission" I smile wide. More wrinkles have appeared in my mother's face and her hair was a lot greyer, but she was still the strong and beautiful woman that raised me.

.

"I have missed you too mom" I shake my head in disbelieve, I have truly missed my family. Suddenly a head slap made me out of my thoughts.

.

"Don't you EVER make me this sick worried about you Gale Hawthorne" Oh mom, you have not changed a bit.

.

"Yes mom" I answer slowly, like when she was punishing me when I was 5.

.

"Well, well, well, it seems that finally there is someone to handle you Pretty Face" My mother raises an eyebrow at Johanna that has just got off the train.

.

"Mom, this is Johanna Mason, exvictor and part of my company back in District 2" I make way for my mother to meet Johanna.

.

"It is nice to meet you Johanna" Johanna smiles politely and hugs my mother.

.

"It is nice to meet you too Mrs. Hawthorne"

.

"I am sitting next to Gale in our way to the hotel!" Posy screams and jumps again into my arms.

.

"I am all yours Posy" I answer smiling to her.

.

I have a little glimpse of Johanna's face, which has a maternal smile on her face and a little surprised look.

We all get into the limo and head our way to the hotel.

_It is good to have all the family reunited._

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

_**I will be gone for 10 days my dear readers, I am going to the beach! I am currently writing chapter 23, but you will have to be patient:)**  
_

_**Love you all and please review! **_

_**Gabriela**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 – Petitions**

**Johannas's POV**

My room is the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life, it feels like I am in a luxury house instead of a hotel. In all my years as a victor I have been in many places, but the Capitol never stops to surprise you, it always has something that you've never seen before.

The reception room has enough space to host 20 people, the furniture is nothing like the crazy things that sponsors have in their homes, his ones are modern and classic, it gives to the room a feeling of even more luxury and a touch of a classic style. The kitchen it is simply beautiful, it is decorated with marble tables and silver stove, the dishes are of porcelain and are decorated with small drawings in gold paint. In the second floor I have three guest rooms and the master bedroom.

My room is spectacular, the base of the bed is a caramel-colored wood carved in a magnificent way that gives you the sensation that it was a bed designed for a king, there is a table which is the base of a large mirror that was made with the same wood and bed design along the closet and all doors.

It took my breath away seeing my room, imagining all the people that worked on it, the labor hands that craved with expert hands the bed, everything is just perfect.

A nock on the door awakes me from my thoughts and I quickly run the stairs down to open. Katniss is smiling at my door.

.

"Johanna!" Her hug takes me by surprise and I just smile. _Since when she is this sweet?_

.

"Hey Brainless, how are you?" I break the hug and move a little to invite her to come in.

.

"Nervous" she laughs a bit "it is just so stupid you now, I am practically married to Peeta, but this is so big that it makes me tremble"

.

"You must be sooo exited to be the center of attention again" we both laugh.

,

"Hell I am, at first I was furious with Paylor for making us marry here, it almost felt like if we weren't getting married for our love but for the entertainment of Panem, it felt like something that Snow would've love to make us do. But after all I must see the bright sight no? I am finally getting married to the man I love and with the one who I want to be for the rest of my life, it really doesn't matter where we are getting married , tomorrow will only be OUR wedding" I smile a little. I really love Brainless and I am happy for her.

.

"It seems that you've finally got it right Brainless, but I still can't get used to this sweet side of you" she smiles to me and gives me a friendly punch in the arm.

.

"Shut up Johanna, my wedding is tomorrow, hell that I am happy" we both smile wither. "Talking about the wedding…" I don't like this tone of voice, she doubts saying something.

.

"What?"

.

"Well, Peeta and I talked about this a little and we both agreed that" her voice trembles.

.

"Just spit it out Brainless"

.

"We would be honored if you accepted to be our Bridesmaid" She ends up with a huge 'please' smile and begging eyes.

.

"Oh Oh no…" _Good Lord please tell me that she is kidding me._

_._

"Please Johanna! We both love you!" She takes my hands and attacks me again with a puppy look.

.

"Why don't you ask Annie?"

.

"Johanna! We want you! Besides, Annie has her baby Finn with her and even though we love her too you are closer to us than her" _Oh shit._

_._

"Are you really making me do this?" I really don't want to be in a too fancy pink dress for all Panem to see it.

.

"Please…." She begs me again.

.

"Only cuz I want you to stop that hurt puppy face"

.

"You are the best Johanna!" she hugs me and I just can't help smiling and returning her the embrace.

.

"I know, I know, just promise me that I won't have to wear a stupid pink dress or something that makes me look stupid" She smiles to me.

.

"Don't worry Fila has designed a couple of dresses that were specially made for you, I bet that you will love one of them" _As far as it is not pink…_

_._

"OK then, I will be your Bridesmaid" We both hug again.

.

"Thank you Johanna, this means the world to me"

.

"You are welcome Katniss, but later I will have to charge it" she shakes her head.

.

"Exactly how?"

.

"I don't know, maybe later I will find something that equals this torture"

.

"You know you love me" I role my eyes to her.

,

"That is the only reason why I am accepting this 'honor' " She smiles one last time before leaving my room.

,

I think that I need to get some sleep to be ready for tomorrow.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**I am Back! Thank you for being patient:) I really needed to go on vacation with no worries, I wrote a little though, I think that I am ready for the wedding. I LOVE to read your reviews, many have started reading my fanfic and telling me such nice things ñ_ñ' I am so grateful with all of you, you inspire me!**

**mrs. becca: Thank you very much! I am so glad that you began reading my story:) Thank you for your review, it made me smile. About the bad language... I just can't help with the personalities of Gale and Johanna to imagine all of this words being used all the time hahahaha xD**

**awesome sauce: I laughed so hard with your "dude" I am a girl my dear friend haha :) Thank you for your review! I hope to hear from you again!**

**raphaella2000:Be patient my friend, Johanna is not the kind of girl that kisses right away;)**

**Please review! I love you all!**

_**Gabriela**_


	24. Wedding Author's Note IMPORTANT TO READ

**Author's note before the wedding PLEASE READ! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.**

First of all I wanted to thank you for reviewing and reading my story, the next chapter means A LOT to me. The wedding of Peeta and Katniss has always been in my mind and I was very careful, detailed and it took a lot for me to write it. I guess that all I want is for it to be perfect. I saw a million weddings, searched for a proper dress, searched for a perfect song for their wedding and I think that maybe I could do this for life hahaha planning weddings. I wanted to be very perfectionist before posting this chapter, in fact, I wanted to include the wedding celebration in this chapter but it was just so much! (that is also part of the reason why I was so late)

I planned so much the wedding that I have all the photos of the dresses, the accessories and details of the wedding so if you want for me to send them to you please send me a private message with your mail address and I will send every image with a description for you to have a very exclusive access to mi imagination:)

After days of thinking I choose the song "My Love" INSTRUMENTAL by Sia to be their song. I now beg you to go to youtube and search for this: Sia - My Love (Piano Instrumental). The first song that will appear to you is their song. PLEASE PLEASE hear it while you are reading the wedding, when I did it I just felt like if I was really there and I want you to enter to my fantasy too :3

The wedding will be narrated by Katniss and Peeta and the wedding celebration will have Gale and Johanna POV. I just felt that I couldn't narrate the wedding in just Gale's POV, I had to include many details that only Katniss and Peeta could appreciate. I really hope you all like it!

Thank you so much! Each and one of your reviews make me want to do a better job and keep on writing. I Love You All!

**Awesome sauce: **You could never be a jerk my friend:D Thank you for reviewing! Don't worry, I will update the wedding today. Love you!

**Olivia: **You reviewed Chapter 2, but here is where I got the chance to answer you:) Thank you for reading and welcome to my story! I am always trying to improve in my grammar and writing and I really appreciate when you point out mistakes, it just makes you better as a writer! Thank you so much for your review!

**Guest: **Hahaha I like Happy version of Katniss too even though it was kind of twisted to write xD Of course Peeta is in the next chapter! It is his wedding! Johanna and Gale moments are about to come in the wedding party, be patient!

**Anonymous: **The wait is over! Here comes the wedding:) Hope you like it!

_~Gabriela_


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey there you guys! We are finally here, the wedding of Katniss & Peeta *w* Please before reading it (if you haven't) take a look at Chapter 24, my author's note. It is really important! **

**Thank you so much for your support and patience:) I love you all! **

_**~Gabriela**_

**Chapter 25 – The Wedding**

KATNISS POV

"Wake up sweetie, this is going to be a big, big, big day!" Effie awakes me of a dreamy night.

Today is my wedding. _Today is my wedding. TODAY IS MY WEDDING! _

I smile before opening my eyes to find an exited Effie just in front of my bed. She is always exited, but it seems that today she could be even more excited than me. I laugh internally, she will always be more excited than everyone.

"Good morning Effie" She starts clapping like a little kid, her smile is bigger than ever. She just makes me smile.

"Are you ready for today? Finally your day is here!" she sings before helping me to get up. Her words have just made my stomach go nuts. I am marring Peeta today!

"Can't wait to marry him" I answer with honesty.

"Oh surely you can't sweetie" she smiles with tenderness. "But you know that there is no way I am going to let you see him before the ceremony, it is tradition!" I just shake my head with disbelieve. That is an unfair tradition, _I need him right here with me._

Last night Effie came just before we went to bed to drag him out of my room and no matter what I said she took him away to another room at the other side of the hotel. Remembering the scene just makes me laugh, she looked like a father tugging the ears of her daughter's boyfriend to get him out of the house. I was a little mad at her last night, but today it just makes me laugh.

_Johanna is right, I am getting really soft with all this wedding thing._

There is a knock on the door and as soon as Effie opens it Venia shows her head and smiles to me. Flavius, Venia and Octavia enter almost jumping into my room screaming and hugging me, just like when I told them that I was going to marry. They quickly take off my night suit and push me into the shower, it seems that my beauty session has just started.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

PEETA POV

A little morning sun light enters to my room and I slowly slip my arms searching for Katniss to wake her up but my arms find nothing. _Wait what? Where is Katniss?! _ Just before I freak out I remember last night events, Effie kicked me out Katniss's room. _Why she did that? _She said something about bride and groom not seeing each other until the wedding… Remembering her words just hits me like a fast speed train. _I AM GETTING MARRIED TODAY! How could I forget that? Oh Lord… I am marring Katniss today. Is it for real? I need somebody to answer that._

Someone knock on my door and I see Haymitch coming in.

"Hey kid, ready for wasting time eating and hearing music before getting married?" _It is real. _I just laugh of joy.

"Hell I am ready! What is that of hearing music and eating?" I am getting married, there is something I must do, no? Getting ready, dressed?

"Well kid, you'll see… all what the groom does is dressing with a tuxedo, no makeup, no special things at all. So we are having a little party before you doom yourself" we both laugh and I friendly punch him.

"I can't wait to be doomed then" That is totally true, I can't wait to marry Katniss. It just seems surreal that the day is finally here.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

KATNISS POV

My prep team, plucked, scrubbed, and cleaned all the defects and hair from my body, they spoke in excited voices, talking about how amazing my wedding was going to be, and how everyone in the Capitol was talking about it. I smiled to myself, they were just like Effie, showing even more excitement than I did.

My stomach is complaining and I wonder the hour, I am starving.

"What hour is it?" I ask Effie.

"It is 2:00 pm, are you hungry honey?" I nod and Effie quickly leaves the room. I think that she is going to order something for us to eat.

"Oh please Katniss! Try to do not get dirty or something." Flavius complained.

"Don't worry Flavius, I won't ruin your master piece" My prep team smiles and we all eat a stuffed chicken. Just after finishing they continued to make me beautiful.

When my hair, nails, and make-up were done, they stepped back, admiring their work.

"All we need is the dress" _My dress…_

Venia run out the room and a minute later my mother and Johanna came in carrying my dress.

They hanged it in the mirror and I just couldn't stop seeing my mother. It has been more than a year since I last saw her, she smiled to me. I had missed her, even though I was mad at her at first with time I understood the reasons why she left me alone, she needed to grief in silence, away from everything that could remind her of Prim.

My lovely Prim, she would've been so happy here, seeing me getting ready to get married. She always loved Peeta. I remember when I was proving dresses for my 'supposed' wedding before the Quarter Quell, she was so excited for me.

I imagine her here with me, dressed with a soft pink dress and her long blond hair carefully curled, I imagine her smile and laughter. I walk slowly and hug my mother, this is my wedding day, for no reason in the world and no matter her mistakes in the past I am not going to reclaim or be mad at her.

My mother cried on my shoulder and I just closed my eyes trying not to cry too.

"I am so sorry Katniss, you look so beautiful" I hug her tighter.

"I missed you too mom, there is nothing to forgive, you are here now" we broke apart and she smiled to me.

"I wish she was here with us" in her voice it was reflected the pain that consumed her and that almost made me break down.

"I wish she was here too, her and dad" she softly nod before Octavia opened the bag in which my dress was in.

_My dress… _

When Cinna designed the dresses for me to prove and for the Capitol to vote for their favorite he had made in secret at different collection of wedding dresses designed for the real me, a wedding dress that I would wear in my wedding. No one except my prep team and Portia knew about that collection, hidden underground in Octavia's fashion store in the Capitol. My last gift from Cinna…

I looked at my dress and sighed with sadness, Cinna was alive in that dress, he will never truly die while one of his creations is still admired and shown to the world.

My dress is shining, it's beautiful, is not extravagant or bizarre, but at the same time takes away breath. My dress is strapless, in the chest has a delicate embroidered triangular area in which are embedded small diamonds and pearls, but the triangle does not cover the entire breast and the rest is made of the thin white fabric of the rest of my dress and has small folds that follow the triangular shape of the embroidery. Connected to the triangular chest embroidery is a belt that gives an elegant and curvy shape to my dress, the belt is embroidered with the same design of the embroidery on the chest and belt down it begins the skirt.

The base fabric of my dress is creamy white, not a sparkling white, thing which I adore. The skirt gets to the floor and below the belt a very thin fabric that has the same color as the dress falls as an extra leather of the dress, embroidered in the thin fabric there are little lines of diamonds that look like rain shining drops that fall in my dress.

I am about to cry, _it is beautiful, so perfect, so me, so Cinna._

"It is time to put it on Katniss" I look to Venia, in her eyes a couple of tears are forming telling me that she thinks just as me.

"Let's do it" I answer with a smile, I don't know if I am ready for getting dressed yet. I mean, _will the sight of me as a bride terrify me? I am good enough to wear this dress? I am good enough for Peeta? No, no one is…_

My mother and Venia help me dress and I close my eyes while they are adjusting it. The fabric is so soft, it feels like if Peeta was gently touching all my skin. I can't wait to see him, _I wonder what he is doing right now._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

PEETA POV

My hands are shaking, it is 4:48pm, I am marring Katniss at 6pm, in 1:12 hours I am marring the woman I love. _I just can't believe it. _

Haymitch, Gale and I have spent our time talking about all the events that brought us here today. We laughed about Gale's thoughts of me before and while Katniss and I were on our first Hunger Games, Haymitch told us many details behind our games, we played "real or not real" because I just can't believe this is true yet… _I am so excited_.

"I think that it is time to dress up gentleman" Gale says to us in a very proper way with a glass of champagne in his right hand. Haymitch and I just can't help laughing at him. "I mean what I am saying! You are almost getting married Peeta, you need to at least get dressed" I smile to him.

"Let's get ready ladies" Haymitch laughs and passes to me my tuxedo. I get into the bathroom and dress up, but before leaving I look at myself in the mirror.

My tuxedo is black, 2-button jacket with two hand pockets and one in the chest were I will have a dandelion. My shirt is white and my vest and tie are grey metallic colored. Flavius should be here at any minute to fix my hair and for the last details.

It is amazing to see me like this, about to get married, finally looking as a man. Nothing could be wrong right now, no nightmares, no war, only the fact that I am 100% ready to get married to Katniss.

I leave the bathroom to find myself with a Haymitch in an all-black tuxedo, black vest, white shirt and grey tie. Gale gives me a friendly punch in the shoulder.

"All Panem chicks are going to cry when they see you man" We both laugh.

Gale is wearing a black tuxedo with a light coffee vest that matches the tie and a white shirt. The three of us now look acceptable and ready to go to my wedding.

"Bah, I am not that handsome Gale, if the case was you getting married I am sure that a couple would try to do everything to kidnap you" He laughs a bit.

"Well, it seems that isn't going to happen in a while" He smiles.

"You've got to be kidding boy, you have the entire break heart looks" That is true, Gale could have any girl he wanted.

"Thanks but I am far from getting married" He looks thoughtful; I think he is thinking about that girl.

"Who is she?" I ask him.

"Nobody, she is just like this unreachable person, there is no way she will ever let me have a shot with her" He says sadly.

"You know Gale, that was exactly what I thought about Katniss and look at me!" I smile to encourage him. "Don't give up on her"

"Oh come on kid, give us a name!" Haymitch screams with disbelieve.

"I don't know, she just drives me crazy, she is bipolar or something, and no, no names"

I wonder who this girl is, she might be a soldier. Yeah, I think that she is a soldier, someone who is like Gale, strong and determined.

Just before Haymitch is able to complain and command a name, Flavius comes in and without wasting time he grabs me and begins to work.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

KATNISS POV

My mother opens a box that reveals a set of beautiful jewelry. First Octavia takes the pair of earrings, above they have a diamond shaped like a rain drop from which falls another diamond that is shaped like a rhomb, and below it there are two diamonds that form a sheet which hangs a delicate pearl. Octavia puts me on my earrings and returns to the box to get out a beautiful comb that will be right where my hair is collected and then falls in waves; the comb is holding my veil that will fall on my back. It is so beautiful, it has the form of five petals, each with small flowers of diamonds and pearls that shine with the smallest ray of sunshine that falls on them.

Venia helps Octavia to put the comb in place along with the veil and then returns for the ultimate accessory, my pearl, the pearl that Peeta had given me in the Quarter Quell was now in a simple but beautiful necklace that complemented my look.

_I am ready, I am ready to marry Peeta._

My mother starts to cry and I wonder if I am so changed, I haven't seen myself in the mirror because I am afraid. I turn to see myself and I sigh marveled, I look so magnificent, almost not like myself. My dress shines under the sunlight that gets into the room, my face has a natural pink flush that makes me look younger, my eyes shine with emotion and it seems that my eyelashes have finally make an appearance. My eyelids have a pearlescent bright with a very soft pink background that gives depth to my eyes that doesn't stops to be sweet. My lips are with a simple pink color with gloss. I look at myself again and I just can't believe that it is me on the mirror, Peeta is not going to recognize me. I smile to myself, _I can't wait to see Peeta._

My mother gives me a final thing, my flower bouquet. I am going to cry, white lilis, primroses and cherry blossom flowers conform my bouquet. I look at the primroses, in the center they have this light pink color that fades as the petal grows. I take a deep breath and feel like home, no matter what I know that my sister is here with me.

"Are you ready Brainless" I turn to see Johanna, she looks so stunning in a green dress.

"I was born ready" I smile to her and we make our way to the gardens of the hotel, where I am going to marry Peeta.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

PEETA POV

"You need to go to the garden right now Peeta, I don't want you to see Katniss before the wedding!" Flavius rushes to push us three to the elevator.

The gardens are so big, but have a defined track of flowers to guide the guests to the weddings point, the flowers are primroses and cherry blossom flowers. I am wondered by the beauty of cherry blossom trees that give the perfect decoration to the garden, it makes it look so peaceful, so perfect. We walk across a non-natural river and that is when I see the aile, the two lines of guests and the arch under Katniss and I are getting married. I am speechless.

Everything is perfect.

"Here we are boy" My mouth is still open when I turn to Haymitch.

"What I have to do?" I ask him. I know nothing about weddings, just the tradition we have in District 12, the Bread Ceremony, that is totally private and nothing to do with all of this.

"Apart from getting married?" He laughs a little. "Effie told me that you have to wait just before the stairs in the arch for Katniss, she will walk down the aisle and together you will get up and do what the judge will tell you. Did you write your vows?"

"It was the only thing apart from choosing my tuxedo that I was left to do so, yes, I have them" Truth is that I have in my mind what I want to say, but I never wrote them down, I guess that I will know what to say when the moment comes.

"Well kid, then you are ready, wait 3 steps after I begin to walk down the aisle and wait in the stop I told you" He smiles to me before hugging me one last time. "I am proud of you Peeta"

I am speechless as he turns and faces the crowd and begins to walk.

1 , 2 , 3… My turn.

Now every eye is fixed on me, I walk decided, ready and with a smile on my face until I reach the bottom of the stairs and turn to see the aisle.

_I am Peeta Mellark, I was reaped at the age of 16 in the 74 Hunger Games and entered the arena with Katniss Everdeen, I was in love with her since I was 5, I confessed my love in national television, we were named the Star-Crossed lovers, we both won, we went together to the 75 Hunger Games, I was captured by the Capitol and hijacked, I forgot I loved her and tried to kill her, we both survived a war, my memory began to clear and she was always there, I asked her if she loved me and she answered "Real", I am 20 years old, I am standing in front of Panem and I am about to marry Katniss._

_.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

KATNISS POV

"Breath Katniss, breath" I remember myself constantly. My hands are sweating badly holding my bouquet. I am hyperventilating. All Panem is going to see me getting married. What if I fall? What if I screw up everything? The world is watching.

"Brainless, stop strangulating your bouquet" I rise my eyes to see Johanna that is just in front of me with a mocking smile. "Why are you nervous? You are just getting married in front of the world, no big deal" She winks me an eye.

"Yeah, sure, no big deal" I answer sarcastically.

"Better than being in the Hunger Games, you cannot complain" She is right.

"Guess you have a point" I smile a little.

"Hey, hey, chill out. Imagine that it is just you and Peeta, everyone else doesn't matter a thing Katniss. Don't waste your time worrying for things with any importance. You are marring the man you love aren't you?" She is right. I take out my fear that is quickly replaced with excitement and joy. I am finally marring Peeta, nothing could ruin this.

"Thank you Johanna, for everything" She smiles and hugs me.

"You're welcome Brainless, try to don't think more shit or insignificant things for today, just enjoy" We both laugh.

"I will" I take a deep breath before two men take their places before the principal door that leads to the gardens.

"Count 5 steps and then follow me Katniss, and try to do not get lost" She jokes just before both man open the doors to show the most beautiful and peaceful sight I've ever seen.

Johanna stars walking and I count in my head.

1

2

3

4

5

Here we go…

Thanks to God that Effie taught me how to walk on heels.

The gardens smell like the forest on spring, when the flowers start to blossom and freeing the most exotic and beautiful fragrances. The grass is perfectly cut and white and pink cherry blossom trees rise from the floors and form the amazing view. I try to focus on our path that is marked by two lines of floating lights. I turn around to see the tail of my dress and the veil that carefully float in the road.

Now I can listen to the expecting crowd. The quiet murmurs that bring me to the reality that we are close and that's when I see the bridge, made of white stone that crosses a small river, small fishes swim in the water while I finish to get through it. We are so close.

The murmurs stop just when Johanna is seen by the crowd, I am looking down and just when I see the aisle, made of cherry blossom flowers and primroses, I rise my head with a big nervous smile. Blood starts to rise on my cheeks when I see all the people that are around me. I can't see very well what it's in front, just the flowery arch made of two cherry blossom white trees. It is so beautiful. How is it possible? The two trees somehow are curved perfectly and their branches tangle and now hold still together with flowers all around them.

Johanna has reached the end of the aisle and now turns right, and that's when I see him…

His blue eyes sparkle with emotion as we both smile to each other.

I have to correct myself. Seeing Peeta under the cherry blossom arch, standing just before me with a big smile on his face, waiting for us to get married is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.

Peeta extends his hand and I take it with confidence, he squeezes my hand a little, like if he was welcoming me back home.

Both of us climb the two stairs taken hand by hand and stand in front of the judge that now asks the crowd to sit with a simple hand gesture.

"You are beautiful" Peeta whispers in my ear and I just smile to him. Emotion has taken over me and I know that no matter what he will be there for me, that we belong together.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have gather here in this glorious day to witness the union of Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen" I can feel Peeta's eyes on me when I smile even more (I cannot believe that this is humanly possible) when the judge says this.

"Peeta and Katniss, please hold both of your hands" We both turn to see each other and I take his other hand. "Now answer with complete honesty the questions that I am going to make" We both nod as an answer.

"Peeta and Katniss, are you here under your own will and desire?"

"I am" we both answer at the same time.

"Are you willing to leave behind you families and friends to begin a life together?"

"I am" we both answer.

"Does anyone here has a reason for this two young people to do not marry, if you have speak now or be silent forever" Silence is made in all the garden and Peeta smiles with emotion to me.

"Now, I will ask each one of you to say your vows to each other" I look the judge. "Katniss Everdeen, please say your vows to Peeta Mellark in the presence of your family and friends gathered here" I take a deep breath and look straight into Peeta's eyes.

"_I am excited and proud to marry you this day Peeta."_ I begin, my voice is clear and strong, but never fierce_. "__You are not just the love of my life, but the only person that can make me feel safe. You are my pillar, my rock, always faithful and loving."_ My eyes start to fill with tears, but I won't let them out, not yet. _"Life has put us through many challenges, and every one of them we have accomplished together."_ I squeeze his hand a little. _"I promise you that I will be less of a pain,"_ I say with a smile as soft laughs are heard from behind _"that whenever you cry, I will be there to wipe away your tears. I promise that I will laugh when you do and that I will try to be a better cooker even though I am a lost case."_ Now Peeta laughs a little and looks to me again with those blue eyes filled with love _"I will be always there to hold your hand and listen to you. I love you more than I could ever imagine that a person could capable of loving"_ I take a deep breath, I want to stay with him here forever, holding hands, knowing that we love each other and that nothing could change that _"My dear Peeta, I can't imagine living without you and I can't wait to be by your side the rest of my life. __I give myself to you completely, and I promise to love you forever,__from this day forth."_ And I finish whispering him the only thing that I am certain of, _"I love you."_

A small tear falls from Peeta's eyes and falls down his face, he is going to make me start crying!

"Now Peeta Mellark, please say your vows to Katniss Everdeen in the presence of family and friends gathered here" I try to ignore the fact that Peeta has no more family alive, but I know that he knows that they will always be here with us, just like my father and Prim.

"_My Katniss, my love, words cannot describe the happiness inside me; I am going to finally marry you."_ I smile to him again, I know how much he wanted this day to come. _"Never in my wildest dreams I thought that this day would come, the day were our lives together start. I have always loved you,"_ He looks right into my eyes reaffirming his love to me, a love that we both share. _"you have my heart and soul since that day in class where you sang and the Mockingjays started singing with you."_ I smile at the memory. _"I can't believe that I am saying this, but being reaped was the best thing that could ever happen to me, it dragged me to you."_ A small tear gets down my cheek as he continuous. _"Even when I wasn't myself you never abandoned me, no matter if I was weakened with an injury or if I lose myself, you were always there. You saved me in all the ways that a person can be saved."_ I can't stop the tears; I wish I could just stop him right now and kiss him. _"You are my inspiration, the reason why I wake up every day with a smile, you give me strength, you calm me down, you remember me who I really am." _My heart is swelling, getting bigger and bigger, threating to get out of my chest. That is what he thinks of me? _"You were patient in my recovery of hijacking and even though I hurt you, you help me remember, you encouraged me to rebuild the bakery of my family and without even trying you made me fell in love with you again."_ He takes a deep breath before continuing. _" I promise to always be by your side. To hold you when you feel like you are going to fall. I promise to be there to face together all our nightmares. I promise to love you for the rest of our lives with every fever of my body."_ More tears come out as he finishes. _"I love you Katniss and always have and always will."_

He releases his right hand to wipe my tears with a smile. I love him so much.

"I request the best man to present the rings" The judge commands.

Haymitch comes up with a small white pillow that has the rings.

Our wedding rings have inscribed two words, our promises to each other.

"Katniss Everdeen, please take Peeta's ring and repeat after me" I stop seeing Peeta for a moment to smile to Haymitch and take the ring with my promise to Peeta, my ring to him says a simple word: _"Real" _ The word that represents my promise that my love for him is real and that it will forever be.

"I Katniss Everdeen" The judge begins. "take you Peeta Mellark, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you."

"I Katniss Everdeen, take you Peeta Mellark, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you." I repeat and place the wedding ring on his ring finger.

I smile to him as he takes his ring in hand.

His ring to me has inscribed his promise to me: _"Always" _To represent that he will always love me and be there by my side.

"Please repeat after me Peeta Mellark" The judge tells Peeta. "I Peeta Mellark, take you Katniss Everdeen, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you."

With a firm voice he repeats. "I Peeta Mellark, take you Katniss Everdeen, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you." He places the wedding ring on my ring finger, where it shall stay for the rest of my life.

"With the power committed to me by the nation of Panem, I now declare you husband and wife" and with this words I knew that my life was finally taken the curse that it should've had a long time ago.

Peeta took my face in his hands and carefully guided my lips to his, sealing our love. His lips are soft, welcoming. We both continued to kiss with big smiles on our faces, I love to kiss Peeta like this, when he is smiling. The crowd behind us cheers with excitement as we both break our kiss and face the world for the first time as husband and wife.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – Wedding Reception and unpleasant news**

GALE POV

I can't lie to myself, I felt some sadness inside me when Katniss and Peeta were declared husband and wife, but I don't think that it is a heartbroken sadness, it is more like the goodbye sadness. I know that she is going to be happy, that no matter her 'having no kids' issue she is going to have one in a couple of years, that Peeta is going to take care of her, but my goodbye is more personal, there is a war still going on. After two years I finally see her, but about to get married. I don't know if I will ever see her again, no matter the past she is still my best friend, my hunting partner, I know her and she knows me. After Prim's death I was feeling so guilty, like a monster really, that I had no face to say goodbye, to beg for her forgiveness, I still have nightmares about Prim on fire. I still feel like a monster for thinking about that bomb.

I have this strange feeling inside me that tells me that I am going to probably die at war, that this could be the last time I see her. Maybe, just maybe that would be fair, for me to die.

I see her so happy, crying of happiness, kissing Peeta like if the rest of the world just disappeared and just the two of them were here. I clap for them, finally she gets married and I know that is with a good guy, capable of loving her like nobody could (not even me). I wish her the best, to have a happy life and that someday we can be able to talk again like in the old times.

I feel a little guilty, this is Katniss's day, but honestly I couldn't take my eyes off Johanna. When I first saw her walking down the aisle I felt my heart beating so fast, she looks stunning, like a goddess. That green dress makes her look so curvy, so perfect. I love that she barely uses makeup, she is perfect just the way she is.

Somehow Johanna feels my eyes on her and turns to see me with a raises eyebrow, I just shake my head and smile again and she answers me rolling her eyes and fixing her attention back to Katniss and Peeta that now walk down the aisle together and the organizers give the instructions to stay in our places until Katniss and Peeta get back into the hotel. _Capitol people… they make everything more complicated. _

After a couple of minutes waiting the organizers started to move people in order to reach the wedding reception.

"You know that staring is against manners Sr. Hawthorne" Johanna's voice surprises me a little, but I quickly recover to turn and look at her that is now by my side.

"And now you are the queen of manners Ms. Mason" I can hear her repressed laugh and I smile to her.

"It seems we are even Pretty Face" She gives a mocking look and I can't help smirking.

"Well, in that case, can I escort this beautiful lady to the wedding reception?" _Please say yes, please say yes._

"With one condition" I raise an eyebrow to her, confused. "You need to teach me how to dace" I start to laugh hard and she gives me a strong punch in the shoulder. "I am not kidding Pretty Face! In Annie's wedding I had no idea of how to dance."

"Don't worry, I will make you the best dancer in the party after tonight"

"Don't get too excited Pretty Face" She winks an eye to me.

"You wish Jo, the only one excited here is you" I give her a mocking smile before entering together to the most amazing reception ever, leaving both of us speechless.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

KATNISS POV

Peeta and I are guided to a especial section in the hotel to make a photo session, we made a deal with just Cressida and Pollux for them to record our wedding and take as many pictures they want with the condition to have the original record of our wedding and that all the pictures taken are given to us in a album, I don't care if they sell them to other Capitol magazines, I just want to have physical memories of our wedding.

After what it seems of an eternity and a million poses, kisses and smiles Cressida smiles to us and announces that we have finished.

Now is time to celebrate.

Peeta takes my hands and we both walk together guided by Effie to our wedding reception.

"Are you nervous Mrs. Mellark?" I smile to him, I love my new name.

"Not at all Mr. Mellark, are you?" I gently squeeze a little tighter his hand.

"Not a bit, I am just going to share my first married day with my beautiful bride and dance with her all night long" I get closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. I love him so much, I barely believe that he is mine now and that I am his forever.

"I love you, did you knew that?" He laughs softly and stops to turn us face to face.

"I love you more" He answers me with a loving smile just before kissing me. I can't get enough of him, his soft kisses always make my stomach go nuts and my mind go black, just enjoying his touch, the movement of our lips together.

"Mmmmhhmmm" Effie coughs and we both break the kiss with a smile. "You will have all night for that my dears, now we can't be late for your party!" Peeta and I share a playful smile and he takes again my hand before continuing to follow Effie.

I can hear that we are getting close; I can listen to music being played and people talking. We keep walking until we reach two huge doors that are the entrance to the reception.

"You wait here until they present you" Effie walks inside and the salon gets in complete silence.

"Please give a big round of applause to receive Mr. and Mrs. Mellark!" Cheers and clapping start and Peeta and I start walking inside.

I am marveled, there are no words to describe my wedding reception. The roof is covered with tree branches and hanging from them there are bright lines of light bulbs and crystal stones that illuminate the whole place. The main hall guides to the big dance floor illuminated by several spotlights from the ceiling that now project initial our initials, next to the main hall and dance floor are the guest's tables. The centerpiece is beautiful, the base is made of purple primroses with white cherry blossom flowers and in the center there is a back tree in which branches more light bulbs. At both sides of the salon a couple of tables filled with food, drinks and ice figures that shine complete our reception. I am so impressed, somehow I love this decoration even though I hate the Capitol extravagance, I feel that this is me (at least in my wedding day).

"Now give it up for Katniss and Peeta that are having their first dance as husband and wife!" The crowd goes crazy and I just freeze. _Wedding dance? Oh Lord… this can't be good._

Suddenly Peeta's hand stops my fears and I look at him, his blue sky eyes give me the courage I need, I know that by his side everything is going to be alright. We walk together to the dance floor cheered by the guests that are perfectly and strategically sitting in all the tables.

Just when we reach the center the music starts to play and I start to cry. The song of my parents was called 'My Love', he said to me that this was the first song that my mother and him danced in their first date. In every wedding anniversary they had my father always gathered a bunch of more preys to afford paying to the best violin player in Distric 12 for him to play that song for them, I once sneaked out and watched the dance under the moonlight in the meadow. _Who knows that this song means so much to me? _This version is a much slower one, in piano actually, it just makes you cry. Peeta and I twirl around the dance floor, I hug him tight, crying against his chest, remembering my dad. This is our song now, it is just so perfect, so us.

"You like it?" Peeta asks me in a whisper.

"I love it" I whisper back.

"Your mother said you would, I heard it and loved it too, it means all my love to you" The song is already ending when I stop him and kiss him. I can't hear a thing, in this moment just Peeta and I exist. I wonder if my kisses can give him the message of my feelings, I want him to know how much I love him, how much it meant to me this song, how grateful I am, that I will never let him go.

We break apart and that is when I start hearing the clapping and cheers of the guests.

"I love you" I say to him.

"I love you too" He says in a smile.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

JOHANNA POV

That song is beautiful, so much that it made Brainless cry. _Bah… lately she has been like a cute smiley puppy._ By my side is Gale and Annie, her son Fin is sitting on her legs and about to fall asleep, he is his father, it was hard at first to see him cause he reminded me so much of him, but the kid makes his way to everyone's heart. Haymitch and Effie are sitting with us too and it seems that the old man is not going to waste is time and start drinking for he calls 'get in the mode' for celebrating. It is just so funny to see Effie's face every time Haymitch takes shots, she is in between disgusted and worried.

Lover Boy and Brainless end dancing and everyone gets crazy clapping, it is just not my style this kind of things… definitely. The couple takes a sit on the main table just in front of the dance floor. It seems that the plan if first for everyone to eat and then start the party… so boring.

Seas of waiters appear from nowhere and start asking everyone their choice for tonight's dinner. I try to listen to my waiter as he tells me the possible menus but I don't care really, I order deer with some stuff he said and in less than 2 minutes the waiter was back with perfectly squared pieces of deer in a marvelous sauce made of berry jam, reduction of two wines and chocolate, not even in my Victory Tour I was given such a tasty meal.

Wine has been served, conversations begin and I start to update in many different things like Annie's life, how everything was back in District 12, Capitol gossip, etc.

Gale told me a few stories about his life in District 12, I must say that apart from being killing handsome this boy has some gut. I am hypnotized by his grey eyes that are just like Katniss's, they really sparkle, and his mouth… oh my, every time he laughed he showed me that maybe I was wrong about him, that he was worthy to meet and to love. _Wait, no, stop thinking bullshit Johanna. I can't afford right now falling in love with someone and less with him! He's got the looks and has proved to be a great guy but, but no! _

I turn my face away before I start thinking about more stupid stuff, I think he noticed my change of humor and ended his hunting story a lot quicker than he used to.

"Jo are…" Gale started to whisper to me but the voice of the event interrupted him.

"Please give a warm welcome to the band playing for you tonight!" The scenery in the corner soon filled with a lot of people with different instruments.

"Everybody on the dance floor! Let's get this party started boys!" The main singer screamed on her microphone making everyone to start making way to the dance floor.

I feel that someone has taken my hand and getting me up.

"Come on Jo, I promised you to teach you how to dance and I will not give up until you learn from the best" His touch made me tremble, it is like could send a electricity currents through my body just by touching me. I can't think of a proper sarcastic comment to say in the moment I just let him drag me to the dance floor just in time for the first song to start.

Violins start playing in a very fast rhythm and Gale took my right hand and placed it on his shoulder, took my waits with left hand while my left and his right hand are still together. I was a little surprised, but soon we started swinging around at the rhythm of the music, he started to turn me around as he started whispering me the moves my feet must fallow.

I think that by now I have stepped on his shoes like a million times but he seems to do not care.

He starts twirling me really fast and just before I fall to the floor or something he twirls too taking a step behind so our arms are totally stretched and united just by hand that probably by now has completely blocked the passage of blood to Gale's hand. He slowly twirls me again making the same move and takes my hands to end the dance by making me lay down on his arm. His face is centimeters away from mine and a strong impulse inside me wants to reach out a little to kiss him, but I don't.

He gets me up and we all clap to the band. I am breathless, dancing is really hard!

"More practice Jo, that is all you need" he jokes me.

I am so tired and even though he was the one doing all the job he looks fresh and ready for another song.

"Oh please some rest!" I beg him. I am so thirsty!

"Don't tell me that you are tired Jo" He is making so much fun of me, enjoying every moment.

"Oh screw you I will go alone for a glass of water" I turn to our table and sit down to ask for my water just when another song starts to play.

I had this silly hope that he may fallow me, but I think he has found another dancing partner.

Blood starts to rise inside me, I feel so jealous! Stupid Gale, sure his pretty face has quickly worked to replace me.

He was laughing and dancing around with a light brunette that was a lot shorter than her, lifting her and twirling like if they had already rehearsed it. _I am sure she is a 12 girl, someone he must know, a friend of his? Maybe an ex-girlfriend?_

"Hey don't be so possessive Gale, I want to dance with mom too!" I narrow my eyes just enough to see Gale's brother Rory to take his mother's hand and start dancing with her.

How stupid I was! It was just her mom! God this is so embarrassing…

"Hey" a strange voice was calling me from behind.

"Do I know you?" I ask the stranger just as I try to remember if I'd ever meet him.

"I don't think so" he answers with a shy smile, dam he is handsome. "I just saw you dancing a moment ago and I just wanted to ask you if you could dance with me" he offers me his hand and I take it.

"I must warn you that I am new in this stuff and that I will probably end up making your feet go red" He laughed.

"I think I will survive" I smiled to him and fallowed him to the dance floor.

I suddenly feel his eyes on my back. _Oh my… here we go._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

GALE POV

Who is he? I thought she was tired! She promised me that she would dance with me, not a strange good looking guy. God I hate him! Smiling like he has won the big price, MY big price.

They start dancing and all I wish is for her to step even harder than she stepped me, maybe he will give up and leave her alone.

My face starts to go red and my fists close. He is totally enjoying his time and she lets him! His hand gets lower and lower and after two songs I just can't take it anymore.

I walk towards them at the middle of the song and interrupt their fun.

"Hey man, sorry to bother you but may I?" Johanna fulminates me with her eyes and just before she can say a word I drag her out the wedding reception.

"Are you crazy? Why you did that!?" She screams.

"I wasn't going to let him touch you like that!"

"So now you are my father? You have no right to do that!" That is just it.

"I thought I was your partner! So now you just let anyone take you and touch you like that!"

"Oh don't bring that bullshit to me that you were the one who left me alone for first instance! And just to make it clear… I AM NOT YOU PROPERTY GALE HAWTHORNE! I can dance with whoever I like if I am pleased!" Both of us are going to explode of anger.

"Oh really? So now every time you want to rest I have to fallow you around and if I don't you are going to let any kind of moron to touch like if he knew you at least!?"

"So now you believe you know me!? Just because I am in your team or because you saw me naked doesn't means you know me!" I burst into laughter.

"You project yourself Johanna! What I did to you for you to treat me like this?" I can't believe her words.

"I am not yours Gale and you were the first one to start dancing with others"

"That was my mother!" I scream with disbelieve_. I can't believe this was all for that._

"I know, it doesn't matter, now if you excuse me… I need to go back to dance with whoever I like" She turns around and leaves me shocked, almost heartbroken, she didn't really cared a bit.

_Well, I guess I have to find a new dancing couple. _

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

JOHANNA POV

I feel bad, really sad. I just… I think that was wrong. I didn't mean to scream to him like that, I was being a bitch. I need to apologize, maybe it isn't too late.

I start running around, looking for him. _Please forgive me Gale. Show up! _

My heart is raising, I can't find him. Maybe he went back to his room.

I can hear his laugh and hope returned to me, he wasn't gone! But that is when I see a familiar blonde girl, I think her name is Delly, she helped Peeta back in 13. I look down, defeated. _Maybe it is time to go to bed… and cry. I am so stupid. _

"I see that he left you alone" I recognize the voice of the guy which I was dancing before, the one who made Gale jealous.

"Yeah…" I am not in the mood sweetie, not now.

"So, are you ready to dance or what?" I am about to give him one of my 'in your dreams' look but I had an idea. Maybe I can make him jealous again and get away from that girl.

"Sure" I answer taking his hand.

We enter to the dance floor just when the song was ending so we waited. I could see him and I am sure that he has already spotted me. _Let's see what you are made of Pretty Face._

I hoped for a really fast song, but instead a very sweet ballad started.

If there is something that I had to learn for my Victory Tour was how to dance with "Elegance" so I know perfectly how to pull out this song. My partner grabs my hand and I place the other around his neck, getting us really close.

We dance slowly, moving with the sound of the music. This guy is sweet really, a good guy, but I only have eyes to see how Gale and Delly dance together. God I am stupid, I should be the one dancing with him but NO I had to be me.

Gale's eyes and mine find each other for a brief moment, somehow I know he is sad too and is my entire fault. I hide my face in my partner's chest and I let a silent tear fall down.

_I can't do this. _

Why the hell he makes me feel like this? Who gave him the power to make me feel so miserable? In what moment I let myself fell in love with him?

Wait. That is it. I do feel something for Pretty Face, something bad, this can't be good.

I am Johanna Mason, I don't fell in love, it is just not me! I can't let him do this. I am not going to fall for him like just another silly girl. I need some time… but first I need to get out of here before I start crying. Each step at a time Johanna, you will forget him in no time.

The song has not ended and I feel the terrible temptation to look at him once more and I fall for it. His grey eyes find mine's and sparkle. It is amazing how he makes me speechless, making my mind go black.

_I can't do this. I need to get out of here._

I stop dancing and look into the confused eyes of my partner.

"I am sorry, I need to go" I say without adding anything more. I start walking out the wedding reception controlling my face. I don't want everyone to notice that I feel like shit.

I get out and close the principal door and start almost running down the hall.

"Johanna!" I can hear Gale's screams behind me.

_No way. Leave me alone!_

I start running faster towards the elevator and panic starts to get me as I hear him getting closer and closer. _I am not going to make it. _

Just when I reach the elevator I push the 'up' button hoping that somehow it will open before Gale gets here but my hopes fade when I feel his hands in my shoulders. We are both hyperventilating of the effort, dam we made a race here.

"Johanna please listen to me" I turn to see him, tired of running away. That is not me bullshit!

"What?" I ask him tired.

"I just wanted to say that it was wrong for me to be like that, so possessive, it is just that…" his voice broke.

"What?" I ask him confused. Just that?

"I don't know how to say this, specially to you…"

"Why?" Why is hard for him to say something to me? I don't understand…

"Because you are you! It is complicated… you are complicated" I stay silent, afraid that if I interrupt him he is not going to continue. "I just… I just wanted to confess you that I…"

His words were interrupted, but this time not by me but from the pair of soldiers coming out of the elevator.

"Captain Hawthorne, Soldier Mason you both need to immediately come with us back to District 2" One soldier ordered.

"Can't you just wait a second?" Gale screamed with anger.

"No, these are orders and a matter of great importance Captain Hawthorne so if you could please fallow us..."

"What is so damn important that you can't just wait a second!?" Gale's screams again.

"Captain Hawthorne, Enobaria is dead and confessed the location of the rebel's base two days ago" Wait. What?

"And so what? If it was that urgent we would have been informed at the moment, why now is so important?" I ask.

"Captain, Soldier, the rebels attacked a few hours ago searching for weapons and supplies and they held prisoners to the squad that was making round this night" Today is Saturday… Oh no, that means that.

"This can't be happening…" Gale cried.

"Captain, your squad is now prisoner of the rebels"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**You guys are the best! I love you all for all the reviews and private messages, they mean the world to me ñ_ñ' **

**TAN TAN TAN War is coming! Poor Gale haha he was just about to confess and bad news come in xD**

**I hope you liked this chapter enough to review! Please please please comment:) **

**Happy reading! _~Gabriela_**


	27. Chapter 27

**Are you ready? ~ **_**Gabriela**_

**CHAPTER 27**

**Gale**

In a second your life can change forever. Those little decisions that you once thought that they didn't matter were the ones that in a way guided you to this moment, the last moment. Just two days ago I was dancing with her in the wedding of Katniss and Peeta…

_Am I ready to die? _

I don't mind dying for her, I don't regret being here, I don't regret losing the time that could've saved my life saving my team. But most of all, I don't regret saving her.

How curious is life, we weren't given time to be together, to finally live our lives without fear. At least I told her my feelings, that I loved her. Even with her bipolar issues, with her range attacks, with her throwing knives at me, with her screaming to me… it was just something that I couldn't help_, I just love her._

If I wasn't dying right now she would have killed me herself just for this, giving up.

Maybe we could've more time together if I wasn't such a coward… but sometimes Johanna can be very intimidating. I can see the light, they are going to get her, she is going to live.

I am too deep, I can't see the desperation in her face struggling and trying to grab my hand but I am just out of reach.

I stop shaking, the pain and desperation goes away and I just feel like if I was really tired.

_Is this how you feel when you are going to die?_

Darkness takes over me and I know that this is the end, that there is no coming back.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Don't hate me! Everything has a reason. Sorry to leave you with the cliffhanger and lots of questions. What do you think? Do you have any ideas of what happened? Want to guess?**

**REVIEW I love you all! Happy reading:***

_**~ Gabriela**_


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 – Tonight**

**Johanna's POV**

The hysteria dominates Gale and doubt eats me alive, but I know now is not the smartest thing to ask Gale what he was going to confess. Could it be that he is in love with me?

_No, impossible._

Am I in love with him?

_No, no, no. I am Johanna Mason! I am not like that, I am just not. I can't be…_

Soldiers lead us to the hovercraft that will lead us directly to District 2 and since we could not say goodbye to Katniss and Peeta I just turn around a second to see one last time the hotel, the bright lights and fireworks that illuminate the sky. This is supposed to be a happy day and now we return to the battlefield with more risk than ever.

_Good luck Katniss and Peeta _I think while the hovercraft rises, _be safe._

My mind wonders without stopping.

The fact that they have the people we care about prisoners is a big advantage, a very dangerous one, much like ours now that we know exactly where they hide like cockroaches.

This is not the time to confuse feelings and wonder of things, this is the time to decide to finish the rest of the rebels, to the end with the rest of the supporters of the Capitol regiment. I will rescue my friends and kill each and every one of the rebels, this is the time to let out free the vengeful Johanna, the side of me thirsting for revenge.

I quickly remove my dress and put on my battle suit to go to the general meeting, it's time to plan a strategy to rescue our team and exterminate the remaining rebels once and for all.

View Gale doughboy and so tense is odd for me, I got used to see the sweet side of him.

"Welcome soldier Mason, we may start the meeting"

I nod and take a seat next to Gale that doesn't even turn to see me. My chest hurts. _Can things change so much in an hour?_

"As you already know the victor and traitor Enobaria was the leader of the rebels and hoped her rising gave her power to be the new ruler of Panem. After various tortures she finally told us the whereabouts of the rebels and died shortly after" The general talks without losing eye contact with both of us.

"Where are they hiding?" Gale asks harshly.

"In District two, before the dark days, military bases prepared for the uprising against the Capitol in a series of secret tunnels connected underground, they are built on the north side of the district and have several entries; the most important are the governor's house and the Justice building. After the war the tunnels were abandoned and forgotten for decades until Brutus and Enobaria, in their attempt to find a secret place where to do a school to train the children in District 2 for the Hunger Games they found them. They decided to keep secret their discovery and found another place to put the academy. When they heard the rumor of a rebellion against the Capitol Brutus and Enobaria secretly armed an army of supporters and took them all to District 1 and 2."

"Damn Enobaria, traitor!" I curse.

"May them rot in hell along with Snow" Gale spits with hate.

The general takes a control and pressing a button brings forward a three-dimensional map of the tunnels. If I'm not wrong there are two main entrances and about 4 different smaller ones connected to houses surrounding the area.

The tunnels connect and grow with different cameras of different sizes, it is like a web of passageways in which you could easily get lost, but we have the advantage of having a map at our disposal and with different guards to ensure no rebel escapes.

"This is the base of the rebels, all are underground tunnels about 5.8 meters deep, according to the information Enobaria gave us the tunnels have a special camera for the prisoners, a kind of prison hallway connected to the third main tunnel . As you can see there are 6 main aisles, each is principal because they are directly connected to an exit and is where most of the main chambers are connected to for safety reasons and to ensure that with any attack the rebels have a way to leave quickly" The general explains.

"How many soldiers we have at our disposal?" Gale asks.

"We are 350 and the number increases as we speak" the general answers.

"Well, it would be a massacre go all through all the entries, it would be a slaughter that would risk the lives of my team captured and even our lives, the tunnels are very confusing and to enter them all at once could mean committing a confusion between us and shoot friend troops. I propose to establish as the number one priority to rescue my team allowing an elite group to enter directly to the tunnel 3, ensuring the successful rescue and then finish the job capturing the rest of the rebels"

"We cannot let them get away!" – I desperately cry out. Of course I care that at the beginning the rebels don't suspect that we are in the tunnels to ensure they do not kill our friends, but we cannot let that any single one of them escapes!_ There can't be any chance for them to flee._

"That is why I propose that the rest of the troops are positioned in each of the other outputs to ensure that all rebels are captured" Gale takes his eyes from mine to look directly to the general.

"And if they discover you Captain?" the general questions.

"More teams enter as reinforcements" he answers with a cold voice.

"Sounds like a plan" I add finalizing the strategic talks.

"Captain Hawthorne ..." Gale turns his gaze to the soldier next to the general "which is the date of the attack?"

Everyone in the room looks at Gale that slowly stands up, his gaze is stern and determined, and his voice is clear and hard as steel when responding:

"Tonight"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Don't hate me! Hahaha :)**

**Hi there! How are you my dear beloved readers? I am SO SORRY that I didn't update sooner, but you know… it was my birthday! Yes my dears, I went in a little vacation trip with some friends to celebrate my birthday (01/09/97) and this week at school was exhausting! I couldn't find the time to write and update, but here I am now:P **

**I hope you are ready guys cuz this is going to be war:***

**Please review, I LOVE your reviews3 Could you as a little gift for my birthday? ñ_ñ'**

**I love you all!**

**Happy reading!**

_**~ Gabriela**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 – This is war**

**Gale´s POV**

Fear, worry, anxiety, uncertainty and anger, a lot of anger are feelings that invade me at this time. Fear that something goes wrong and my team gets wounded, the concern for my captured squad, anxiety about their health and safety, uncertainty about the situation, not knowing what will happen is something that can easily make me go crazy and let's say that anger is something I feel all the time lately, anger against the regime we beat that seems that will not give up.

All are in position and waiting for my signal, in a few moments we descend into the tunnels.

I look one last time at my team, I do not know them, they are strangers to me, but now their lives are in my hands and it is them who will fight with me to recover the ones I love.

I want to finish with this war once them for all.

Only one face of my team is familiar, Johanna. I look her in the eyes, I fear for their safety. She looks at me with determination, giving me encouragement to give the order to advance, her eyes are gleaming in the moonlight and I just hope that if I do not get through this alive she will someday understand how much I love her, that my cause fighting for are no longer my family and Katniss alone but fighting for a world in which she will never again see death and war again.

_I'm ready, there is no turning back._

I take my gun and nod giving the order for two soldiers to put the password to open the tunnel door.

"Whatever happens stay together and follow me, you cannot get lost under any circumstances, and we rescue the prisoners to immediately get out of the tunnels" I give my last order and I go into the darkness of the first corridor to download directly to the main tunnel 3 with my team following me.

The more we go down more musty the tunnel smells. At the bottom it starts to show the glow of the light that illuminates the main corridor, from the moment we leave the safety of darkness we became any rebel targets.

"Follow me team, no matter what happens" I order by the communicator just before reaching the light.

Our weapons are silent, every shot is as noisy as a falling leaf, our mission is to go unnoticed. There was no warning or any sign, the look of the rebels just before shooting reveals that they had no idea that we discovered their secret base. We gave them no time left to trigger alarms, even for screaming a warning to the others revealing that we are here. Silence is our best weapon and our ticket out of the tunnels in safety.

The third main hallway is quite wide and with many doors, each of them must be open and we need to make sure that there will be no witnesses to secure the output path.

Sweat fills my front head because of nervousness, my breathing quickens the closer we get to the junction of a main hall with the others. The tunnel has connector corridors to allow communication between the major and minor tunnels and is just here where there is more risk of being discovered.

My heart races and I order my team to stick to the wall while I make sure no one goes down the connector hall while we reach the second part of the main hall 3, right on that part is where the prison is and where my squad is being held prisoner.

I support my hunter ear to the wall in search of a sound that alerts me that someone is near, I hear nothing so slowly get out my head in order to get panoramic view of the hallway.

It is empty.

"Forward" I order and just when we go across the hall a disarmed group of rebels appear from nowhere.

I shot against them but surely two of them got to flee.

_Our time is up, we have been discovered._

"Run to the prison and shoot anyone who crosses our path, have been discovered!" I direct my team; there is no time to pass unnoticed but to run at full speed towards the prison while simultaneously alarms are activated creating a horrible and sharp sound. The ceiling is filled with red lights right when we got into the prison.

Armed rebels were waiting for us and wasting no time we give direct shots to the head but I think one of them managed to shot at the shoulder one of my soldiers, just as the inert bodies of the rebels fall is when I can see my squad behind bars and severely wounded, tortured.

"Gale! You did come for us!" Kyle is right in front of the bars of the cell, filthy and bleeding but with a big smile on his face. My heart is enlarged when I see the kid, I thought he was dead.

The faces of the others lights up when they see us, they have finally hope to get out of here alive.

"Look among the corpses for the keys and let's go!" I order.

It's a matter of seconds before we open the door and load up the wounded.

Now try to think of a way to get us out of here alive, surely the hall is full with rebels ready to kill us all. I connect my communicator with the general.

"We need reinforcements! Open fire and distract the rebels on each output, we will leave the main hall 3, we have the wounded!" I scream.

"Understood, elite teams ready to go in and create a diversion" the general's voice soothes me, maybe with a little help we can get through this.

At the distance I hear the footsteps of the rebels getting closer to the prison, they will kill us, we are outnumbered and wounded.

"Block the door! No time to lose!" I move immediately to carry Cam to give two soldiers free hands and without asking they close the doors and begin carrying furniture to block it.

_This will not stop them for long._

My heart races as I hear more and more footsteps positioned behind doors that are now our only shield against the rebels, we are surrounded.

_Where are the elite teams?_

The shooting begins and the sound startles us all. Fear and anticipation before what could be our death are now flooding the prison. It is only a matter of minutes before the doors collapse.

"Who is in conditions of holding a gun and fight?" I ask my team.

"I am" Kyle, Trell and Fugg respond me. Ross is weak and severely wounded; two of my soldiers have to help each other to hold him.

"Take a gun and get ready to shoot" They obey my orders and I just pray that there is a way to get out of this alive.

We are all in position and ready to fire, the door slowly starts to sag and my muscles tense. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I turn to see who it was. Johanna. Her face now filled with dirt and sweat does not lose its beauty but it makes her look even more fierce and dangerous than what she usually does, her eyes are on mine, she smiles and nods her head trying to give me hope.

I have to be strong and take courage, for my family, for Katniss, for her. No matter what she has to get out of here, she has a whole life ahead and I just hope I can share it with her. I nod my head and she positions next to me and points her gun at the door, ready for anything.

"No matter what happens Johanna, do not get out of my sight" I say as an order. I would hate to do not know where she is and not knowing if she's alive or dead.

_If she dies I die with her, while she is alive I have my biggest incentive to keep on fighting._

"Until the end" she promises me. And just then the door is due and hell begins.

We fired at will against the rebels, bullets flying in all directions and with difficulty we get out of prison, I order through the communicator to my team with the wounded to remain in the safety of the prison while we clean the area, but they are too many. I pull out my sword and start fighting with one hand holding the gun and with the other slicing rebels with my sword when suddenly I feel a huge pain in my left shoulder, I have been shot.

"Gale!" Johanna yells.

I ignore the pain and throw away the sword before continuing to shoot and this is when we hear the first explosion.

I guess the rebels received some kind of instruction of leaving because they abandon the hall and disappear and while running we remove some more. The floor shakes violently as a second bomb is detonated and deafens us all.

Everything is going to collapse in a matter of minutes if they keep detonating bombs.

"Run!" I scream as hard as I can to my team.

My lungs hurt because of the smoke which now fills the hallway, a mixture between burnt odor, blood and moisture make even worse breathing. The temperature rises and we cough, our lungs are burning, if not we leave here we will all die of asphyxiation.

"General! What's going on?!" I ask through the communicator.

"The rebels began throwing grenades to the elite teams and the first and sixth corridors are on fire and collapsing, you have to get out of there NOW!" His screams mix with cries of despair behind him and that's when I realize the danger we are in.

"Run faster!" I order, we are near the hallway that will lead to the exit.

_We are almost there, just a little more._ I think with desperation.

The lights go out and I start hearing gunfire behind us. _They reached us._

There is no way my team leaves this tunnels without me staying to distract the rebels and to ensure that they get out safe and sound.

"Keep running and do not look back, do not stop until you exit the tunnel!" I order them before turning around and start shooting at the rebels.

"NO!" My team screams.

"Run now! That's an order!" I order them and look fiercely into the eyes of the soldiers who obey me without questioning again and start dragging my team into the exit hallway.

"Gale no! We can do it, keep running!" Johanna yells me. Her cry against the ones of my squad struggling with staying mix with the shots and they give me even more reason to stay.

"Johanna GO, get out of here" I order here.

"No" she answers me with a dry cold voice, stops beside me and starts shooting.

"Johanna No! Please go, live" I beg, the rebels are closer and closer to us.

"I promised not to leave you and that's exactly what I am planning to do" she answers me with decision "nothing you say or do will make me leave."

"Please Johanna…" - I beg again.

"No Gale, shut up, now you promise to stay with me, do not leave me" she asks.

The worst of my nightmares is to be fulfilled, there are two options: either I see her dying or she sees me but it is determined that both of us will die tonight no matter the order.

"Until the end" I promise and hold her hand just before launching to run to fight the rebels.

The pain, sadness and despair are replaced by courage while fighting against the rebels. I do not lose sight of Johanna and she did not lose me as one by one we eliminate them.

"Ahh!" Her scream of pain scares me.

"Johanna!" I turn to her and see she was wounded in the thigh by a dagger.

I go and shoot against her aggressor and a huge explosion sounds.

The ground around me starts to break and concrete pieces from the ceiling begin to fall.

"Johanna!" I scream to her and take her hand in mine before carrying her in my back to start running to the exit.

A horrible heat burns me in the back and that is when I see a huge wall of fire coming at high speed towards us and that now devours several rebels mercilessly screaming in pain.

"Gale!" Johanna yells seeing the fire.

In a desperate attempt to escape from the flames, in the last second I launch myself and Johanna towards the last camera connected to the hallway just before exit hallway. The fire passes right behind us but we were able to evade the flames and being roast till death.

I cover Johanna's body with mine until the flames are extinguished and they burned my back, the heat is unbearable and the smoke mingled with the smell of burning flesh makes me wanting to throw up.

"Are you okay?" I ask Johanna.

"More than okay, let me see your back" she orders me.

I turn to give her vision and she drowns a sigh just before taking out a knife and breaking a part of my fighting uniform and throwing it into a corner.

"It was burned, forgive me, if I left it there it could stick to your skin" she apologizes.

"Jo, is okay" I answer and the ground begins to shake violently again.

Johanna and I do not waste time and we got up to rush to the exit, but she has her thigh injured and she will not endure running so I take her arm to offer support and we both get out of the camera.

We are running through the hallway with the walls in flames.

_We are almost there, just a little more._

The hall collapses behind us just when I see the exit and a couple of soldiers just outside the door waiting for us.

Everything falls apart and we are absorbed into the shadows with no way out.

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

**_OMG! :D_**

**_Thank you for all the reviews! I really love you guys even though right now you probably hate me hahaha xD Don't worry everything is about to get worse:P _**

**_I hope you liked this chapter! If you did please please comment, I love your reviews, they are my reason to write more and more:) _**

**_Thank you for all of your congratulations for my birthday! I love you all. I want you to guess my age, review you guess:P _**

**_Happy reading my loves!_**

**_~Gabriela_**


	30. Chapter 30

_**In the last chapter…**_

_Johanna and I do not waste time and we got up to rush to the exit, but she has her thigh injured and she will not endure running so I take her arm to offer support and we both get out of the camera._

_We are running through the hallway with the walls in flames._

_We are almost there, just a little more._

_The hall collapses behind us just when I see the exit and a couple of soldiers just outside the door waiting for us. _

_Everything falls apart and we are absorbed into the shadows with no way out._

_##########################################################################################################_

**Chapter 30 – I don´t want to lose you**

**Johanna's POV**

"Johanna? Please wake up, talk to me"

Gale's voice slowly brings me back to reality when pain and fear kept me unconscious.

"Gale…" I whisper still feeling confused and dizzy.

"Thank God you are okay Jo, I thought we were both dead for a second" I slowly open my eyes to find myself nothing but darkness, just a very thin line of light gets through the rocks of the ceiling giving me just a glimpse of Gale's face.

He is covered in dust, blood and sweat, but the glory of his face can never be touched. His eyes reflect all the worries and pain he has suffered, but deep inside they are gentle, welcoming.

"Where are we?" I ask getting up, I look around and all I see is dirt, broken concrete and rocks.

"We are trapped here, the tunnel collapsed and we were lucky enough to do not die crashed by the rocks" we are trapped in a very little amount of space, approximately we have 2 or 3 m2 to move around, it is the ceiling that is way high, like 20 meters or so.

"This wasn't the high of the tunnel…" I whisper.

"Yeah, the floor torn apart and we fell into a kind of hole, but I am sure that the ceiling is very close to the outside. See that light?" He is right, maybe if we scream…

"Do you think they can hear us?" I ask him before trying something.

"I don't know…" He looks up.

I look up too and then a very loud noise makes us both jump in alert.

Something has broken.

"What was that?" Gale asks.

"I don't…" I answer just when a cold, small drop of water falls in my back.

I scream.

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

**Gale's POV**

Johanna's screams made me almost thought that she was dead but just maybe that would've better than this, we are going to drown. The water starts falling from the top of the ceiling like if some kind of main pipe broke, the rocks that keep us trapped in here are too stick together that the water can't get out of the hole and we are quickly being surrounded by water.

"Johanna! Listen to me, I am here" She is lost in her pain just like that time in the shower of the train, the only thing is that now I can't get her out of the water and that kills me.

"Johanna, please look at me" I beg her.

A wave of water falls upon us and I freeze, it is so cold. Another couple of screams.

I look again at Johanna, trembling and broken, tortured. It eats me alive to see her like this, slowly dying of something from which I can't save her.

I run to her and hug her, protecting her from the water that falls all over us. I resist her punches filled with anger.

"Please STOP, PLEASE" She begs me, as if I was the one torturing her.

"Johanna, listen to me please, I am here with you, we are going to get through this, come back to me" I whisper in her ear.

She starts to cry very slowly, like a kid that silently cries from something that hurts.

"I am here Johanna, everything is going to be all right" I wish I could guarantee that, that she will get out of here, alive.

"Gale?" She whispers.

"I am here Jo" I answer.

"Are we going to die?" Her voice breaks at the end, fear invades her even more that it invades me.

I look down and see that in a few minutes we will have to swim to keep breathing, the water is not at my shoulders.

"No Johanna, the others will come to rescue us, we are getting out of here, have faith" I lie to her.

"You suck at lying you know…." I softly laugh and hug her tighter.

"You scared me to death you know" She hides her face on my neck.

"I don't want to die like this, I am freaking out Gale, I will not resist longer with all of this water" I take support in one of the rocks at our side and use it to keep swimming with Johanna holding my neck.

"Look at the light Johanna, have faith" I wish my consuls could work on me right now, I am feeling claustrophobic in here, like a trapped animal.

"Thank you Gale"

"For what?" Our voices now tremble; the water is so cold that Johanna's lips have lost color.

"For being here with me, for the lasts months, for all the fights and all the laughs" She is saying goodbye. There is no freaking way this is going to happen.

"No Johanna, don't you dare say goodbye, not now" I hold her hand and keep on climbing to the top of the tunnel, soon the little air we have left is going to be over.

"I am so tired" My hearts starts beating faster, this can't be happening.

"Johanna listen to me, don't let go, I am here with you, I am never leaving you, we are in this together, okey?"

The world stops for a second just as she looks me in the eyes like if she couldn't believe me. I forget about everything, the fact that we are going to die in a minute or two, that I am scared, that all my body hurts like hell and I just focus in her deep brown eyes. I get lost in the track of time and space trying to figure out how to let go, I can't, I can't lose her, and after many month the words that my heart wanted to scream finally came out:

"I love you"

Her eyes go wide open and so does her mouth, surprised. Without double thinking I get closer to her and take her face in my hands bringing our lips together in what will be our first and last time. Her lips are soft, wet and cold. I kiss her with my heart asking a silent answer. She kisses me back and I get lost in the feeling, enjoying the movement of our lips and tongues together and even though I don't want to, I say in that kiss a final goodbye.

We break apart.

"I love you too" she answers and before we can say something I hear movement above us and Johanna screams in despair, asking for help.

Hope invades me and I take Johanna's hand, if we can hold on our breaths maybe we can get out of this.

"Hold your breath Jo, do you hear me?"

"I will try, don't let go" she whispers with effort just before the water takes away our last resource of oxygen.

We are floating in the water, seeing how very slowly the little light grows more and more as the soldiers dig to get us out.

I look at Johanna and I see that she is shaking, she badly wants to scream and my world goes upside down when she does, losing all her air.

My first reaction s to bring our lips together one more time and I pass her my air.

Her eyes go wide open, understanding what I just did.

I surrender.

I let go of her hand and because of the lack of air I start sinking. All I can see is her eyes filled with pain and despair.

It is amazing how in a second your life can change forever. Those little decisions that you once thought that they didn't matter were the ones that in a way guided you to this moment, the last moment. Just two days ago I was dancing with her in the wedding of Katniss and Peeta…

_Am I ready to die? _

I don't mind dying for her, I don't regret being here, I don't regret losing the time that could've saved my life saving my team. But most of all, I don't regret saving her.

How curious is life, we weren't given time to be together, to finally live our lives without fear. At least I told her my feelings, that I loved her. Even with her bipolar issues, with her range attacks, with her throwing knives at me, with her screaming to me… it was just something that I couldn't help_, I just love her._

If I wasn't dying right now she would have killed me herself just for this, giving up.

Maybe we could've more time together if I wasn't such a coward… but sometimes Johanna can be very intimidating. I can see the light, they are going to get her, she is going to live.

I am too deep, I can't see the desperation in her face struggling and trying to grab my hand but I am just out of reach.

I stop shaking, the pain and desperation goes away and I just feel like if I was really tired and ready to just go to sleep.

_Is this how you feel when you are going to die?_

Darkness takes over me and I know that this is the end, that there is no coming back.

_I love you Jo, I really do. _I say as a goodbye just before I close my eyes for the last time.

###################################################################################################

**We are so close to the end! But we are not there yet;) I wanted to say how much I love your reviews, it is amazing to read all your comments and encouragements. I just love you guys:***

**Please, please, please take a little of your time and leave me a review:) Tell me how much you hate me for killing Gale Hahahahahahahaha xD **

**I love you all and I wish you,**

**Happy Reading! (JoJo instead of… Happy Huger Games!)**

_**~Gabriela**_


	31. Chapter 31

**In the last chapter… Gale POV**

_I stop shaking, the pain and desperation goes away and I just feel like if I was really tired and ready to just go to sleep._

_Is this how you feel when you are going to die?_

_Darkness takes over me and I know that this is the end, that there is no coming back._

_I love you Jo, I really do. I say as a goodbye just before I close my eyes for the last time._

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

**Chapter 31 – When you are gone**

**Johanna's POV**

His kiss was shocking.

But non the less it soon became soft and intense, clear in intension, flowing like a river of emotions. My heart jumped in surprise and the heat of my body suddenly came back. All what I wished for was finally here, in this moment, no matter the circumstances.

But as fast as good things came, they disappeared.

All the joy and happiness of that moment is now lost, sunk in oblivion. He is gone. Dead and all because of me.

I saw his eyes lost bright, the last bubbles coming out just before he closed his eyes.

I am dragged out of the water, but I fight them, I am going to die here, I am not living without him.

I let out of my air left in a last intent of dying, but I was too late and they get me out.

"Leave me! NO!" I scream in despair trying to jump back into the water. Strong pair of hands avoid me from going back and I just crash down, defeated, dead.

I see how a pair of soldiers jump into the cold water to get Gale's body out, with the hope of getting him out alive, but he is gone.

I sit in the dirt cold floor and grab my legs, hugging myself in intent to feel like if Gale was hugging me.

_He can't be gone, he promised. _

I close my eyes trying hard to forget that scene, the scene of his death. It is all a nightmare, a really bad nightmare, I will soon wake up and he will be there, by my side, smiling like always. Those grey eyes can't be dead, they are full of life and love, they shine even in darkness, they can't be dead, they are not dead.

I hear too much noise around me and I turn to see how Gale is dragged out of the water, lifeless.

My heart breaks and tears come out without asking for permission when I see how in bane they try to restart his heart.

"Quick! Bring me the cardiac defibrillator!" Doctors move around, pressing his chest with their hands trying to get some kind of response from his heart, but all I see is a pail dead body.

"1,2,3 Charge!"

"1,2,3 Charge!" They scream repeatedly making Gale's body to jump for a second and then fall to the ground making no change. I start crying, letting tears shadow my sight of this, it just makes it more painful.

"He is gone, take time of death" Wait, what? NO! They can't give up.

"NO!" I scream before running to him. He can't be dead, he just can't.

"Soldier Mason… it is useless" They try to take me away but this time they will not.

"GO AWAY! HE CAN'T BE DEAD!" I scream while holding on to Gale's body.

I cry against his chest, refusing to let him go.

"Gale! Please, I am here, you promised" I beg him.

"Soldier please… let go" someone says.

"GO! I WILL NEVER LET GO!" I order.

"Gale…" I cry. He can't be gone, he will not leave me.

Suddenly in my head I start to remember our time together, every laugh, every fight, every time those grey eyes looked at me. I love him, I had been stubborn enough to do not admit it for a long time and just a few minutes ago he finally told me that he loved me. This can't be happening.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" I scream to Gale and I start punching his chest. "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME RIGHT NOW YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Soldier No" I hear behind me.

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, YOU WON'T, YOU PROMISED" I keep on punching his chest with all the strength I have. "NOT AFTER YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME!"

Nothing changes and I just see water coming out of his mouth.

"GALE PLEASE! I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU!" I scream in pain, punching him with all I've got.

I cry defeated against his chest, all I am, all I've got is lost with him.

Very slowly, like the few steps of a child, my ears get to capture a small sound, a beating.

"Cauhhh cauhhh" I hear his coughing. I look up to see his face red of effort, getting out all the water in his lungs through his mouth.

"Gale!" I scream and start crying against his neck.

"He is alive!" I hear screaming behind me.

"Johanna?" I feel his arms around me and that just makes me cry harder.

"I am going to kill you" I whisper to his ear.

He laughs softly and I just feel alive again.

"You said you loved me" He whispers.

"All my life I am going to repeat that to you" I promise.

Doctors come all around us and against all my strength they take him away, straight to take him to the hospital. I am attended separately against my wishes. They sew the wound in my leg, my front head, my arm, soon I am covered with needles and white bandages. I look like old mummy, like the ones in the ancient history book.

"Soldier Mason, we need to put you into rest" The doctor orders.

"Oh you won't, I am not ready to fall sleep" The eyes of the doctor became sad.

"I am sorry" He apologizes before pressing a button.

"No, You are not" I whisper back just before darkness take me.

I am not ready to face shadows alone, I need Gale with me.

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

_I feel the water, I feel the desperation of not breathing again. I feel his lips over mine over and over again and suddenly I feel like breathing, but when I open my eyes I see him dye. I see in slow motion how he sinks into the bottom, one hand extended to mine, trying to take mine, but I couldn't get to him. He is dead because of me. He is gone._

I wake up crying, desperate. Gale is dead?

I no longer know what is real, he can't be dead.

I take away all the needles in my arm ignoring the pain and the little drops of blood coming out and I start running through the halls of the hospital.

I need to see him, I need to see that he is alive.

"What room! In which room is Captain Hawthorne?!" I order/scream to the first nurse I run into.

"He… he is in 305.." I wait no longer and sprint trying to find the room.

"Mason! Slow down Mason you can't get in there" The general tries to stop me and I have to control myself to avoid doing something stupid like punching him in the face.

"Get out of my way General, I am not in the mood of being stop" I ignore him and open the door of his room.

And there he is, calm in the safety of sleeping. The sound of his heart beating on the machine right next to him calms me down, right now it sounds just like a mom singing a lullaby to his baby.

I close the door behind me very carefully and sit by his side, admiring his calmed face, resting. My heart feels full of joy now that I know he is alive, he is never leaving me, not again.

Very slowly and fearing to wake him up I start stroking his face until I let myself fell asleep in his chest, knowing that this is the way I want to sleep for ever.

I feel a soft stroking on my back and I carefully open my eyes just to see his grey eyes looking at me.

"You are here" He whispers.

"I am always going to be here" I answer just before kissing him. Lord I needed that kiss, feeling his lips against mine once more, knowing that what we lived even if it was horrible, that it was real, the good and the bad.

"I love you" He says just after we finish.

"I love you too" I answer with my heart, knowing that I'll always will.

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

**And here we are my beloved, this is the last chapter before the epilogue:') Did I let you down? Some of you were really worried about me having and ending like Mockingjay, I hope I did not;) **

**Thank all for being here with me, while writing the life and story of Gale after Mockingjay. In the first chapter I said to you that I had a great feeling of emptiness when I finished reading Mockingjay, many questions unanswered and I always kind of loved Gale and I tried to give him a story were, even though he was going to get through tuff situations, he was going to have a happy ending and for me that meant that not only he would find love, but that he would gain back Katniss's friendship. **

**As you could have noticed I stayed truth to the books and did not revived or changed anyone, I just thought that, to answer the questions in my head I would have to stick to the story that had been left in my hands.**

**I really hope you liked it and please stay with me till the epilogue that I think will be ready soon, I just have to concrete ideas to achieve what I am searching for:)**

**You know that here in Fanfiction I don't have thumbs up soooo leave me a review, tell me what you think of the story, how you wish the epilogue to be, all your comments, opinions and love:***

**Happy reading!**

_**~Gabriela**_


	32. Chapter 32 - Epilogue Stardust

**Chapter 32 - Stardust**

**Epilogue**

**Gale's POV**

Annie's house is warming and welcoming, we gather here every year on the 25th of March to see each other and share some quality time together; we have been doing this for 10 years. Time has passed and life started again for all of us, and all of Panem.

After the Tunnel's fight Panem was submerged into an undefined time of peace that has lingered on until today, and will last as long as Panem is united. I will never be able to say that I am proud of the lives I took, all the screams and the horror of our past, the nightmares and the scars that remain in our body and hearts ; they say that time heals them, but somehow they never fade, and we have been able to accept that fact and keep living.

I look out the window to see my wife siting in the sand, even though years have passed she is still my Johanna, the woman of my life.

I remember our first time holding-hands after we walked out of the hospital together.

The tunnel fight had been a week and a half ago, and the doctors finally gave me permission to walk out as a free man, with all my military duties already paid. I got dressed in my hospital room and a nurse took the last revisions to make sure that everything was fine. My heart had been a little unstable after I almost died and that was the reason of why I stayed at the hospital so long; I still had a slight risk of dying. The scars on my chest still tell the story of my close encounter with death. Every time I look at them bad memories come to me, but Johanna says that somehow she has learned to love them, she says that they are the ultimate proof that no matter how close I was to dying, I stayed with her.

Johanna had never left my side in all of that week, but she left one day before of my release to "make something important" she said. After passing the medical tests of the nurse I made my way out and found her standing in the door, smiling like I had never seen her before.

"Are you ready to go home drowny?" _Drowny… please no_ I thought with disbelief. _I preferred Pretty Face…_

"I'm ready to get the hell out of here" I answered, and before she could say anything else I took her hand and kissed her. I can remember every single touch, every single kiss. After almost dying a several couple of times my brain started to take note and record every happy moment to use them against the nightmares that plague me time and time again.

We walked together to the train station and I kept wondering where were we heading to, but no matter what I said she kept her mouth sealed, claiming that it was a surprise.

The trip didn't take long, it felt like mere hours, and Johanna had made sure that I had no clue of where we were going. The train stopped and she stood behind me, covering my eyes with her hands and placing a kiss on my cheek.

"When the doors are open, breathe" she whispered in my ear. An electric current was sent through all my body and I almost couldn't concentrate; I had the woman I loved on my back, kissing my cheek and whispering in my ear.

_Honestly, how could anyone think in that kind of situation?_

The doors opened slowly and I did as I was commanded. A wave of humid and fresh wind stroked my face gently. There was a salty taste in the wind, and it had a calming effect on me, just as the woods in District 12 had. I had no idea of where I was, but I felt like it was magical.

"Open your eyes" she commanded me.

I slowly did, and I saw all my family and friends waiting patiently for me, all of them with big smiles on their faces.

"Gale!" My little sister Posy screamed and ran to meet me.

I ran to her and with difficulty I carried her to hug her tight. I felt tears prickling at my eyes when my mother and Rory joined the hug. It had been years since my family was together, or, should I say, the family I had left.

Katniss and Peeta came up to me and almost suffocated me with their hugs.

"Do that to me again and I will personally kill you" Katniss said to me while hugging me. I smiled. I had my friend back and now nothing could stand between our friendship.

"I am glad you're still with us Gale" Peeta said with a big smile on his face. I smiled back at him.

I saw Annie holding the hand of her child that was without question the living image of his father, and till this day, he still is. She smiled with kindness while her son ran out to hug Johanna, with little tears streaming down his small face.

After a little while Johanna took my hand and started dragging me behind her. She was smiling, and I felt excited, yet a bit impatient. We were running through houses and buildings until she stopped.

"Close your eyes and follow me" she ordered and I obeyed, though it took all my self-control not to peek.

We walked slowly and suddenly the ground changed, it was unstable, a little hot, but very soft. We kept walking until the air smelled even more salty and I just felt like if I was dreaming, it was completely new for me, every sound, every fragrance and every touch.

"Take your shoes off" she said. Careful of do not open my eyes I did as she said and marveled myself at the feeling of the ground, it was soft and warm, but a nice warm.

"Walk a little more" she said. I notice that she was careful this time, like avoiding something, but I couldn't concentrate on anything because of the feeling of water in my feet and then my brain made the math. I was in District 4, just in front of the ocean.

"Don't open your eyes, I will count to three ok?" I waited, impatient to see.

"1"

"2"

"3" she whispered.

I opened my eyes and marveled at the greatness of the ocean, the power of the waves and the big blue sky that seemed to never end. But just before I could say a word the sun started to sink in the horizon, painting the sky with the most amazing palette of colors. It was the most incredible thing I had ever seen in my life. It made me feel so small, but at the same time, I felt special, as if I was lucky to be in its presence.

"I wanted you to see this, to share with me this one moment for us to remember when we are down, when we feel like if there is nothing good out there, when we feel like giving up. I wanted to have this moment together, to help us keep going on like this, so that we can keep being strong, and never give up."

I turned to see her and she was still looking at the sun, her brown eyes shining brighten by the colors of the orange skies. I held her hand stronger and turned to kiss her, sealing a silent promise, a promise that we will be together, until the end.

I smile at the memory and begin to remember about the mess it was asking her to marry me. We had been living together for a year and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful Johanna; I couldn't wait to make her my wife.

I had planned to propose to her in the ocean, with a beautiful picnic ready and with a simple but effective ring in my pocket. I had bought flowers (except roses, the phobia of roses continues in all of us to this very day) of all kinds to make a huge heart around the blanket where the picnic was going to be. I bought aromatic candles and even tried to cook dinner for her, to make it as romantic as possible. Johanna came home and just when I was guiding her to our picnic a huge wave came over and destroyed all my efforts. I almost went mad.

Johanna laughed so hard just when I started cursing the sea and soon after both of us laughed together in the sand. It was just so stupid and funny, and I must've looked ridiculous because Johanna was crying from laughing too much.

"Ohh dear, what was the occasion Gale? I just forgot the entire scene because of your Pretty face" she said to me after trying to calm down her laugh a little.

"It was supposed to be a surprise…" I started to say just before she fell in the sand laughing again.

"You have the worst luck in the universe sweetie" she said with effort before I fell by her side laughing with her.

We laughed a little more before I kissed her lips.

"I love you" she said to me "with your bad luck and everything" she mocked.

"I love you more" I started and smiled to her mockingly.

"What?" she asked me, knowing that I had something in hand.

I knelt in front of her and her eyes widened when she saw the velvet box containing a ring in my hand.

"Jo, this year together has been the best time of my life, I want to share with you every single moment of my life and we both know and have very clear that life is too short and unpredictable, waking up with you every day makes me feel complete and I know that there is nowhere else were I wished to be more. I love you Johanna Mason, I love you and I want to make sure in every way possible that we are going to be together forever. I know that you hate the idea of marriage, but I will insist and ask you every day to make me the huge honor of becoming my wife until someday you answer me yes" I opened the box and reveled to her the ring and she gasped in between tears. "Johanna Mason, would you marry me?" I finally asked.

"You are the worst you know?" I raised an eyebrow, that wasn't by far what I expected for her to say in that moment. "And I love you jerk, dam it Gale! You are the only one who can make me be able to say this…" I waited. She bites her lip just before saying the words that would complete me. "I do, I want to marry you Gale, more than anything"

Our wedding was simple, we said our wedding vows at the beach surrounded by our dearest friends and family, soon after we legally got married by signing the form at the justice building and doing the bread ceremony at our house. Peeta baked special bread for us uniting the traditional 12 bread with the typical in district 7, and over night we did the marriage wedding tradition in district 7. Johanna and I craft on a piece of wood with our names on it and hung it on the door, making the house officially ours and forever uniting our names on wood.

"Daddy!" I turn to see Ivy running to Peeta smiling. Peeta raises his daughter in the air while Katniss just smiles at the scene.

I remember how scared she was when she found out she was pregnant. The fear of the games and the nightmares plagued her, and she feared that her child would suffer the evils we had in the past.

"I am so frightened Gale" she confessed me "what if my child has to go to the hunger games? What if there are any rebels left and they kill my baby?" she cried.

I just felt so moved. I needed to protect her and my future niece.

"Everything is going to be ok Catnip, remember that I made sure that there was no danger? I fought until the last rebel was captured, your and my children will forever be safe, don't be scared" I comforted her.

Truth was that I was frightened and yet elated at the thought of having children. It was my dream and my nightmare when Johanna came to my one day saying that we were expecting a child.

I was outside the hospital room holding Mrs. Everdeen's hand while Katniss was giving birth to Ivy. Mrs. Everdeen was furious at the doctors for not letting her inside the room since she was late. She was so mad that she wasn't present in the room so that she could deliver her first granddaughter. After hours of waiting finally Peeta came out holding a baby with brown hair and eyes as blue as the color of the sky. They named her Ivy, following the tradition that went through the Everdeen family. Years later Katniss confessed me that she wanted to name her Rue or Primrose in memory of the two girls that she loved the most, but that she didn't wanted her child to carry the name of two young and innocent girls that died in a horrible way, that she couldn't stand the idea of her daughter dying like they both did.

"Look Daddy! Finnie found me a pearl!" Ivy screamed showing the pearl to Peeta "now mommy can have another one for her necklace!"

Peeta kisses her child and takes the pearl looking at Katniss before kissing her.

Ivy is 6 now and seems to have all the courage and personality of her mother, but with a sweetness that could only come from Peeta.

I remember when I found out that I was having my first child, it was about a month or two after Ivy was born. I came home after a day of working to find Johanna smiling at me, receiving me with the entire house lightened by candles and a pregnancy test on her hand.

"We are having a baby Gale!" she screamed with excitement hugging me and it was in this moment that I knew that our lives would change forever, and this time, they would change in the most beautiful way possible.

We faced our fears together and got through 9 months of pregnancy, I was the one more scared of having our baby and Johanna had the worst moods ever but at the end of the day we laughed of everything hugging each other in our bed, fighting all our nightmares like we always did, together.

The day that Johanna gave birth I was working, our baby wasn't expected until two weeks, she was a little bit early, always inpatient we joke. When Finnick came to me running because his mother had taken Johanna to the hospital my world turned around, I grab Finnick's hand and we both sprinted to the hospital.

We waited and waited hours to finally see our daughter Lily, who turned out to be a mixture of both our families. Lily has a hair as black as night, like Johanna's mother did, she has my grey seam eyes. At the beginning her skin was very white, but my mother said that when my father was young he was just like that, but with time he had gained some color.

I look to see Lily dancing at the shoreline and Johanna looking after her smiling, I love her so much, but I adore her pregnant look. Yes, she is carrying now our second child and her belly is now slightly rounded. Katniss is expecting a child too, but we are by far more advanced in the pregnancy than her, it was very fun when we both found out, we almost said it at the same time.

Katniss and Peeta traveled to meet us in our house to tell us the news and we hadn't told the either.

"We have something to tell you guys" Peeta began.

"We have something to tell you too" Johanna answered.

"We first!" Katniss screamed.

"No, we first!" I replayed.

"We are having a child!" we both screamed and the laughed together.

"Congratulations!" I said to Katniss and Peeta just before we all hugged each other, sharing that moment of happiness as the family we are.

"How much you have?" Johanna asked Katniss.

"2 weeks" she answered.

"We have 2 months and a half" I joked just before she punched me in the shoulder.

"WHY THE HELL YOU DIN'T TOLD US BEFORE!?" she reclaimed.

"I guess we forgot Brainless" Jo joked making fun of the face that Katniss had just done.

I walk to the sea shore to seat by Johanna's side, with a hand on her belly and the other one holding her hand.

"Where have you been Gale?" she asks me resting her head on my shoulder.

"Remembering" I answer with total honesty before kissing her forehead.

"Remembering what?"

"How we ended up here" I answer with a smile.

"We were pretty messed up" she laughs "Any regrets Pretty Face?".

"Not at all" I confess to her before kissing her lips with softness.

"Daddy!" Lily demands my attention.

"What's up sweetie?" I answer her.

"Come daddy come!" she orders me with a smile.

I stand up and help Johanna to get up to meet Lily at the shore, our feet touching the now calmed and warm sea. Lily opens her arms asking me silently to carry her.

"How could I ever say no to the most beautiful girl in all Panem" I answer to her request carrying her and kissing her cheek.

"Hey!" Johanna reclaims me.

"You know you will always be my favorite" I whisper to her ear and she kisses me innocently.

"Daddy look at the sun" Lily says to me pointing at the sun that is now hiding, sinking in the sea and painting the sky with oranges and pinks.

"Yes sweetie, the sun is going to sleep" I say to her "say goodbye".

"Goodbye sun, I will see you tomorrow!" she screams and we all laugh. She is so beautiful and innocent; she is my little girl, the girl of my life, the most perfect proof of the love between Johanna and me.

Katniss and Peeta come to our side to see the sunset and later Annie and Finnick join us.

I see us all together, as a family, and I know that somewhere, our loved ones are watching us with proud eyes, beaming down on us.

My dad, Katniss's dad, Madge, Peeta's brothers, Johanna's parents, Finnick, Peeta's parents, Prim, Rue, and all the friends and loved ones we lost in the war.

I look at the last beam of orange light before the sky turns into a soft dark color showing the first lights of the stars that cover the night sky.

We walk to the house and get the children on bed saying farewell to another day. We do this every year, every month and every day, it is our way to keep living, to see each other and share something more than dark memories. This is our way of creating new and special memories filled with happiness and laughter admiring with every year how our children grow in peace and freedom.

Many things have changed since war, since that day that Prim was reaped and Katniss volunteered for her, many times I asked myself what would have happened if things occurred differently, but every time I shake my head, that could never be possible.

I constantly remind myself that "What If" doesn't exist.

Somehow I wouldn't have changed the past, for it would change the present, the place we are at right now. This beautiful life.

_And I wouldn't have it any other way._

_**The End.**_

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

**So, here we are my dears, in the very end. I wish I could express with words how lucky and grateful I feel of having such an awesome readers, thank you so much! I will always carry you in my heart, all the times one of your reviews made me laugh or smile:) There will not be another story, I think that finally I have some peace about Gale's story (if you can recall at the very first chapter I explained why I wrote this fanfic, to somehow write or complete what happened to Gale after Mockingjay). **

**Now it is time for you to do me a little favor, if it isn't too much to ask I would love you to please tell me what you thought about my story, comments, critics, wishes, etc. This is my first fanfic and I wish that someday in the future I can find a good idea or story to start writing again, and this time better.**

**Farewell my beloved, it was a huge honor to write this story and to have you all to read it:***

**Liked it? Recommend it!:)) I will always check the reviews so please leave me one no matter the time you read this:P**

**Happy reading!**

**With all my love,**

_**Gabriela**_


End file.
